Two brothers who married twin sisters in a joint wedding have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
Clive Thomas, 75, and his older brother Mike, 77, married twin 74-year-olds Jean and Gill Adams 50 years ago in Southampton.
From teenage sweethearts to retired pensioners, they have been together through thick and thin.
Mike and Gill’s love began in 1967 when Mike asked her to a dance at the Top Rank entertainment suite in Bannister Park.
Just days after their first dance, Mike asked 17-year-old Gill out again. Initially, she said no as she had to do her history homework, but later accepted, and they began dating.
It was then that Clive took an interest in Jean but was unsure if he should do so at first.
“At first, I didn’t think it was a good idea to date my brother’s girlfriend’s sister,” he said.
But they did - going on a first date to watch musical comedy A Hard Day's Night at the old Classic Cinema in Above Bar Street.
The two couples had some years of long-distance relationships - before their marriages.
Mike worked in London while Gill went on to study French and Latin before she went to France to work at a school for a year.
Clive and Jean also lived apart for some time, when Jean went to study PE at IM Marsh University in Liverpool while Clive studied education in Exeter.
Mike and Gill got engaged in 1972, but married in 1974 due to their father’s wish for a joint wedding.
“We wanted to get married earlier, said Mike. “But Gill’s dad who was paying for the wedding wanted the girls to get married at the same time so we had to get married in ‘74.”
The couples shared their honeymoon in South Wales, albeit separately.
Last weekend they celebrated their golden anniversary by taking family out for a meal.
When asked what advice he would give for a successful marriage, retired vicar Clive said: “Marriage is like team sports. You have to work together and put the other person first.
"Keep the teamwork going. It’s about encouraging the other person to be their best.”
Mike and Gill have had their differences but said they complement each other. “Gill has been very patient with me… most of the time," he said.
Grandmother-of-two Gill said: “We know our strengths and play to them. If we hit bumps, we get over them.”
The happy four celebrated their anniversaries on August 17.
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