A WELL travelled couple who have lived in France are to celebrate their golden wedding with a family party.

Fred and Stephanie Suggitt, of The Orchard, in Thirsk, are to celebrate 50-years of marriage on January 28.

The pair who hail from Halifax, West Yorkshire, are to hold a party to mark the event.

The couple will be joined by their family of sons Christopher and Andrew plus daughter Jeanette and grand children Lucy and Isobel.

Mr Suggitt said: "We have enjoyed married life and the secret of happy marriage is give and take.

"We also feel you shouldn’t stay anywhere for too long as that keeps things exciting and different for you."

The pair met as Mr Suggitt, then 22, spent his National Service in the RAF where he rose to the rank of junior technician.

Mrs Suggitt was secretary at a sweet making firm and was 18-years-old when they met.

They moved to Lincolnshire as Mr Suggitt’s RAF career dictated and they married on January 28 1961.

Christopher Suggitt was born in 1961 and the family moved to Hebdon Bridge where Mr Suggitt became a TV engineer.

He became the area manager for North East England for his company and Mrs Suggitt held several secretarial jobs during the years.

Andrew was born in 1963 and Jeanette in 1965 and in 1977 the couple moved to Bagby, near Thirsk, where they had a small holding with animals.

In 1988 they moved to south west France where they lived for ten years before heading back to England and the Halifax area.

They have since moved to Thirsk and they are both members of Thirsk Tennis Club and enjoy walking.

Mr Suggitt, 72, and Mrs Suggitt, 68, are to have a party to mark the anniversary on January 29 at the Old Lodge, Malton.