A Dereham couple are celebrating a major milestone having reached their 65th wedding anniversary.

Margaret and Alan Lawler met in the early-1950s, when Mr Lawler moved to Norfolk as part of his RAF national service.

And it was on a hot spring day that he stumbled upon his wife-to-be, who was swimming in the River Wensum at Lyng.

"Margaret was with her brothers and I asked her to take a photograph of us," said Mr Lawler. "A month later we met for fish and chips in Lyng, and then again at the village hall."

The rest was history and the pair married in 1954, before starting their life together in Dereham. They had three sons and now have six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

After leaving the RAF, Mr Lawler worked at JJ Wright and Cranes, and spent a period with Spillers in Great Yarmouth. Mrs Lawler initially worked at Barclays and later taught at King's Lynn College.

Over the years they enjoyed holidaying in their motorhome and lived across Norfolk, before returning to Dereham in 2011.