A couple who met at a meeting of Bungay Young Conservatives in the early 1960s have celebrated their golden anniversary.

Robin and Carol Reeve, who were both born in Bungay, joined the group and found a bond during a Juke Box Jury evening in which Mr Reeve had the role of David Jacobs - and their life has been one of harmony ever since.

As they marked their 50 years of marriage with a lunch for family and friends, Mr Reeve said: “The Young Conservatives was mainly non-political, and we had this Juke Box Jury evening. Carol was one of the panellists, and one of the numbers they had to comment on was Bruce Chanelle’s Hey Baby. Carol voted it a hit.”

The couple’s first date was at another Young Conservatives event, a visit to then Lowestoft MP Jim Prior’s farm at Brampton.

They were marred at St Mary’s Church in Bungay, on April 10, 1965, by the Rev Geoffrey Tarris.

Mr Reeve, now 75, was on his first teaching assignment at Gisleham Secondary Modern School, with his wife was working at Boots the Chemist, and they made their home at Oulton.

Later Mr Reeve took a job at Kesgrave Secondary Modern School, and then Thurlston Secondary Modern School near Ipswich, before doing a degree course in French and linguistics at Essex University. He then spent 15 years teaching French at Wymondham College, and Mrs Reeve worked at Marks and Spencer in Norwich for 17 years, latterly as a supervisor.

By then the couple had moved to their present home in Hethersett, and Mr Reeve took early retirement to concentrate on private tuition.

Now they spend much of their time doing charitable work, for Macmillan Care, the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Disabled, the Stroke Association and the RNLI, among others. Mrs Reeve is also a long-time volunteer at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, and in 2009 was named Norfolk Volunteer of the Year for her selfless dedication. She helped to set up the Patients’ Experience Tracker initiative which is now used throughout the hospital. Over the years the couple have helped to raise thousands of pounds for good causes.

“We have had a roller coaster ride through life and achieved what we have through a lot of give and take,” said Mr Reeve. “We have two daughters who we adore and the four of us look after each other.”