IT was love at first sight for Anthony Rouse when he first saw his wife Irene kicking a football around with a group of girls. "I'm going to marry her," he said.

After a courtship attending local dances, the couple were married at St. Stephen's church in Skipton and have now celebrated their diamond wedding.

Anthony, now 82, served in the RAF and later was a painter and decorator before working in weaving mills.

The couple have spent their lives working together having run a general store, Irene and Tony's, in Flaxley road in Selby.

They also ran a pig farm at Sykehouse for sixteen years before moving to their present home in Drax, where they have lived for 16 years with Irene working as a carer at Mansion House in the village.

The couple, who received a congratulatory card from the Queen, have two sons and a daughter, 12 grandchildren, and 22 great grand children who joined them at a celebration party at Drax club.

"We have worked together nearly all our married life and adopted a give and take attitude to our marriage,"said Irene.