A COUPLE who met at a dance more than five decades ago have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.

Ruth and George Mott met on Mrs Mott's 16th birthday in West Auckland Memorial Hall.

Now in their seventies, they enjoyed dancing seven nights a week until Mr Mott's health began to fail.

He was working as a miner at Woodlands when they met, The couple were married five years later in West Auckland church.

Mr Mott later worked as a steel fixer at Eden Hall, Barton, and Atcost, in St Helen Auckland.

Mrs Mott worked at the West Auckland clothing factory and later in school kitchens, spending 15 years at King James I School in Bishop Auckland.

They have a daughter, four grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. Their son Trevor died last year.