Tenby couple Peter and Elizabeth (Betty) Hooper will be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday (April 10) marking 50 years of a “wonderful” and “magic” marriage.

Peter met Betty (nee Thomas) at Carmarthen Dance Hall, having decided to go somewhere different to Tenby, Pembroke Dock, or Haverfordwest for a night out In May 1967.

Peter was the younger of two brothers and lived in Broadmoor with his parents Bill and Annie May Hooper. Betty was one of eight children and lived in Meidrim, Carmarthenshire with her parents Cliff and Glenys Thomas.

Peter proposed on his 23rd birthday (May 16) having asked for Betty’s parents permission and they celebrated their engagement at the Ivy Bush Restaurant and Hotel in Carmarthen.

They got married at St David’s Church, Meidrim on April 9, 1971, which happened to be Easter Saturday. After a reception at The Glanymor Country Club, Laugharne they spent their first night as a married couple at The Dragon Hotel in Swansea before heading to Majorca to Pollensa Park Hotel in Puerto Pollenca.

They have been back to the hotel a couple of times and in 2016 went with their two daughter’s families.

On returning from their honeymoon, they moved into a flat in Cambridge House, Tenby and then Heywood Court before moving to Upper Hill Park where they have been for the last 38 years.

Peter worked for the Gas Board for 12 years before going into business as Tenby Heating and Plumbing and then for the last 16 years he worked on his own as Peter B&P Heating, before retiring.

Betty worked as a laboratory assistant technician at the milk factory in St Clears for 15 years prior to moving to Tenby. Since then she has had various jobs over the years and has worked at Boots, Olivers, Park House Hotel and Caretaker at Tenby Junior School.

Many will know Betty for her baking and cake decorating skills, but in particular her custard slices, which often appear at many a coffee morning!

Betty moved to Tenby from Meidrim not knowing anyone and has made some lovely life long friends over the years from being a member of St Mary’s Young Wives and then Mother’s Union, New Hedges WI and the Trefoil Guild.

Peter joined Tenby Bowling Club in May 1971 when living opposite the green and has been a member ever since and also played Table tennis for some time.

Peter and Betty have two lovely daughters, Tanya who lives in Leeds with her husband Chris and their two children Anna and Harry and Rebecca who lives with her husband Adam and their daughter Bella in Llanaharry.

They love to spend time with their three wonderful grandchildren, which has proved difficult over the last 12 months.

So due to Covid, the celebration is not going to be what was originally planned, which was a family celebration at Celtic Manor, this has now been postponed to August when the family can all be together.

So for the special occasion Rebecca, Adam and Bella will join them at home and Tanya and her family will join them via zoom. Then on Sunday, they will return to St David’s Church for morning worship.

So what is their secret to a long and happy life together? Peter says he has been under the thumb for the last 50 years; whilst Betty says - “give and take – give more than you take and to let him think he is in charge, but I’m the boss!”

If one word describes the last 50 years – Betty says “wonderful” and Peter says “magic”.