A BLIND-DATE at the cinema blossomed into 50 years of marriage for a Winsford couple.

Fred and Joyce Oakes, of Pine Grove, are now celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, thanks to a friend who fixed them up.

They first got together when Fred's workmate Raymond Lewis, who has now died, arranged for the couple to meet.

Fred explained: "I was working as a joiner at ICI in Winsford when I first met Joyce who was from Hartford.

"Our blind-date was at the Regal Cinema in Northwich. I can't remember what film we watched but it must have been good because we hit it off from there."

The couple, who have two children Alan and Susan, marked their anniversary last Friday by having a double celebration at their home.

Fred, aged 72, said: "We had about 70 people on Friday and around 50 or 60 on Saturday because everybody couldn't manage to get there on the same day and there were too many guests to invite on the same night anyway. It was a good excuse for two parties."

And the secret to 50 years of marriage? Fred says the special ingredient is to be happy.

"Our blind date was brilliant," he added.

"From then on we have both been very happy and this has helped us to have such a good marriage."

A special thanksgiving service was held at Trinity Methodist Church by Rev Paul Cieka for Fred and Joyce on Sunday.

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