A GREENOCK couple are celebrating the marvellous milestone of 50 golden years of marriage.

Nathan and Annette Scoular were both 18 when they married on March 18 1967 in St Ninian’s Church, Larkfield.

On Saturday they will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary by renewing their vows on the exact day and date at a party in their Wren Road house and then the Tontine Hotel attended by family, friends and current St Ninian’s Minister, the Rev Allan McIntyre.

The Scoulars met at the age of 16 on a bus going from Greenock to the Dennistoun Palladium dance hall in Glasgow.

Annette recalled: “We got dancing and started going out. It wasn’t love at first sight, but we both have the same sense of humour and got on well. It doesn’t seem like 50 years we’ve been married.”

Nathan said their parents didn’t object to them getting married so young, but his brother said it wouldn’t last.

He said: “We proved any doubters wrong and now we want to renew our vows because of our love for each other.”

Nathan worked in various jobs, including in the council’s slating department, and Annette was a sewing supervisor at Playtex in Port Glasgow.

Asked for the secret of their long, happy marriage, Annette joked: “He does what he’s told!”

Nathan added: “Like most couples, we’ve had the odd disagreements, but we always settle them before we go to sleep at night.”

They were married by the Rev Stewart Smith, who sent them an anniversary card and a letter in which he gave them his best wishes.

He wrote: “It’s wonderful to learn you have reached this special anniversary.”

The couple have two daughters, Michelle, 49, who lives in Jersey with her husband and has two children, and Natalie, 45, who lives in Wemyss Bay with her husband and three children.

Nathan and Annette are both retired and enjoy travelling.

They have visited New Zealand, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, the Greek islands, Spain and Florida and they still still enjoy dancing.