THEIR marriage has been documented through the years in the Daily Echo.

Now Brian and Maureen Sivier are celebrating a milestone as they reach their 50th wedding anniversary.

Their wedding photo was published in the paper in 1964 with the newly-weds surrounded by Brian’s Southampton Amateur Rowing team colleagues in front of St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Woolston.

Since then the pair have raised three children in Sholing, reached retirement and now spend their days competing at Folland Bowling Club in Hamble.

And with a favourite sport in common the 71 year olds became the first married couple to win the club’s singles championships in 2011, when they appeared again in the Echo.

After 50 blissful years together Brian said he couldn’t quite believe where the time had gone.

They have known each other since they were 14 years old when Maureen used to go with her brother to the Southampton Rowing Club’s social night at weekends while Brian was a Stroke for the senior team.

At 18 Brian plucked up the courage to ask Maureen on their first date.

Brian said: “We still feel exactly the same as all those years ago, it’s quite amazing that we have made it this far and, sadly, I don’t think we have a secret.

“There were hard times but we always got through it and always looked after each other, it’s important to be there for one another and who would have thought when that photo was taken on our wedding day that we would have gotten to this point 50 years later.”