A Redcar couple who have spent their working lives in the North-East retail business have been celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary this week.

Jim and Katie Macrea, who are 86 and 88, have spent their professional lives running a number of shops throughout the North-East.

After a stint as firefighters during the Second World War, the couple took over the family draper's business, WD Macrea and Sons, in Durham, where they opened another shop and also built a house.

Mr Macrea said: "We travelled around the County Durham towns a lot.

"We then bought Reed Sports in Station Road, in Redcar, and we were there for 30 years.

"We also had a branch in Darlington, Middlesbrough and Eston."

Mr Macrea retired at the age of 70 ,but his wife kept working in the shop part-time, where she was responsible for keeping the books.

"I missed the company of the girls," she said.

On Sunday, Mr and Mrs Macrea, who have two children, Ian and Marjorie, were joined by family and friends to celebrate their anniversary with a lunch at the Claxton Hotel, in Redcar.