IT must have been clear to all this golden wedding couple made a great team after storming to victory in the wheelbarrow race when they were teenagers.

And the happy pair have now followed in the footsteps of both sets of their parents celebrating 50 years of marriage.

Tony and Mary Davies, of South Dale, Penketh will be celebrating their landmark anniversary tomorrow, Friday, with family and friends at St Joseph’s social club and say long marriages is definitely in their blood.

Mary, aged 70, added: "My husband's parents Albert and Alice Davies and my parents Joshua and Lucy Whatmough also lived in Sankey and celebrated their golden wedding anniversaries in the Guardian so it's been a bit of a running joke in the family we would do the same.

"Some of our friends will ask us how we have lasted this long but we tell them the secret is plenty of give and take and enjoying life with close family and friends."

The couple met in April 1960 at Crosfields recreation ground when Mary was a member of the athletics club competing in the 100 yard sprint and Tony was playing rugby.

She added: "The first time I saw him was across the field and then he asked if he could walk me home.

"We really started going out on the sports day and entered the wheelbarrow race together with me holding the wheelbarrow as I was the fastest runner.

"His hands hardly touched the ground and we won and had our picture in the Crosfields Chronicle.

"My parents didn't know I had got a boyfriend by that point and opened the Chronicle and said 'What's this'."

They tied the knot at St Mary's church in Great Sankey when Mary was aged 20 and Tony aged 21 and despite it raining all day and all week for their honeymoon touring North Wales it was a happy occasion.

Former Crosfields, Babcock Wire and Roy Trevor Removals employee Mary still volunteers for the WRVS at Warrington Hospital, is an exam invigilator at Penketh High School and helps run an over 60s group while Tony, aged 71, worked for BritishTelecom as an engineer until retirement aged 60.

The pair have two children John and Jane, four grandchildren and one great grandchild on the way.