Nawton couple celebrate golden wedding (From Gazette & Herald)

Alan and Audrey Ventress celebrate golden wedding

2:14pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News

A COUPLE celebrating their golden wedding have asked friends for donations instead of presents to help others.

Alan Ventress, who was originally from Harome, and Audrey, from Alne, met at a dance in Terrington in 1959 and went on to marry in Strensall on March 9, 1963.

They are hosting an open house with afternoon tea for 70 invited guests to mark the occasion and have asked for a small donation for St Savior Church in Harome and for 12 nuns in Tasmania, Africa, who they have been helping for five years.

The Nawton couple have twin daughters Caroline Collier and Alison Souter, now 48, and five grandchildren, including another set of twins.

“It was the happiest day of our lives when the doctor told us we would be expecting twins,” said Mrs Ventress, who ran her own childminding service for 15 years.

Mr Ventress, 73, used to work for the family’s land drainage company until his brother and father passed away, and now owns a gardening business, which he is still invovled with.

Mrs Ventress says the secret to a happy marriage is “always being able to make each other laugh”.