Golden couple celebrate (From The Advertiser Series)

Love grows for Spennymoor couple

3:20pm Sunday 17th February 2013 in News

A GOLDEN couple who love sports found the perfect match when they netted each other.

Ronnie and Mary Farlow, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary yesterday (Saturday, February 16), say their love for each other has grown over the decades and they make a perfect team.

The couple met as teenagers at Low Spennymoor Youth Club and their friendship turned to romance when Mr Farlow impressed his future bride on the football pitch.

“She used to watch me play and fancied me in my shorts’, said Mr Farlow, 72.

The couple married at St Paul’s Church, in Spennymoor, and have both lived in the town all of their lives.

Mr Farlow worked at Dean and Chapter Colliery, Ferryhill, for ten years before working as a bus conductor and driver until retirement.

Mrs Farlow, nee Hodgins (Cor), 71, worked at the Ferguson then Smart and Brown factories before raising their family.

The couple have three children- Julie Varey, Debra Curle and Ronnie Farlow- and three grandchildren.

They enjoy many hobbies including holidays and sport- both are Sunderland football fans and Mr Farlow loves cricket.

To celebrate their anniversary Spennymoor town mayor, Coun George Tolley, visited to present a gift and the family enjoyed a meal out on Saturday.

Mr Farlow said: “A long marriage is something to cherish, after this many years we’ve had good times and bad times but the good ones outweigh the bad 100 to 1 and love grows.”