A COUPLE who fell in love at a dance have celebrated 50 years of marriage.

Alfred and Connie Littlewood, from Spennymoor, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday with a party and another twist on the dance floor.

The couple, who grew up in Spennymoor, say their long marriage is due to taking the ups with the downs and pulling together.

Connie, 70, said: "People these days don't pull together.

"We have done everything together and worked through tough times. We give and take and we have a lovely family."

The pair danced at Clarence Court, known as the Rink, during the 1940s when Alfred, 73, worked in the post office and Connie was a factory supervisor in Ferryhill.

Connie said: "We danced well and we got together through that, then one day Alfred said, 'Should we get married?' I was shocked because I was only 20, but then I thought, 'why not?' I'm glad I did."

The couple have two daughters, Sandra, 46 and Janice, 41, who also live in Spennymoor, and three grandsons, Mark, Scott and Carl.