A COUPLE who met in the shadows of an Ipswich brewery are celebrating half a century of married life.Owen and Audrey Betts (nee Stokes) were both working at Cobbold's brewery when they first met in 1947.

A COUPLE who met in the shadows of an Ipswich brewery are celebrating half a century of married life.

Owen and Audrey Betts (nee Stokes) were both working at Cobbold's brewery when they first met in 1947. Mr Betts worked there for a total of fifty years before he retired.

After talking to each other outside the brewery on a summer's day, the pair, who are now both 72, started dating and married five years later.

Mrs Betts said: "I can't remember him asking me out, in those days you just met and carried on from there."

She is also unable to pinpoint exactly when Mr Betts proposed to her. However he did, and they married at Ipswich Register office, Elm Street, on March 23 1952.

While Mr Betts was working at Cobbold's, which is now known as Tolly Cobbold, Mrs Betts had several jobs including working at Crane's for more than 20 years.

They have two children, John, 49, and Patty, 47, as well as two grandchildren, Kevin, 23, and Kerry, 25.

They both retired ten years ago and to celebrate moved to their current home in Wye Road, Ipswich. They previously lived near the old Ipswich Airport site, which is now home to the Ravenswood development.

On the secret to their successful marriage, Mrs Betts said: "The key is just being happy together. He's a good man. We don't tend to argue too much and if we do we soon get over it."

Mr Betts added: "I think we think the same as each other, which is really important, and we like doing the same things.

"I think being on the same wave length is the key to a good marriage."

To mark the occasion of their Golden wedding anniversary the couple were due to treated to a meal by their children at a restaurant in Hintlesham.