A COUPLE who met on the dancefloor 63 years ago are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary.

Pamela Fry was aged just 15 years when her head was turned by 21-year-old Leslie Hile during a dance held at the Bourneville Hotel in Eype - now Eypes Mouth Hotel - in 1954.

They have shared a mutual love of dancing ever since, attending three to four events a week until as recently as last year.

They may have hung up their dancing shoes, but the couple still like to settle in front of the TV and watch Strictly Come Dancing.

Pam and Les have four children who were brought up on Broad Road Farm.

Les' parents were licensees of the King's Head in Bradpole but left the pub to buy the farm, where they would work alongside Les and Pam after their wedding on August 31,1957 at Askerswell Church.

Pam and Les have many fond memories of their time on the farm; Les would do the tractor work and milk the cows and Pam would tend the pigs and chickens.

Pam said: "We had a lovely life on the farm and it was nice for our children to grow up in the farming community. We would look forward to the annual family day out to the Melplash Show."

At the annual show, Pam would exhibit in the cookery and flower arrangement classes, with her name appearing on many prize-winning cards.

Before they were married they went to dance lessons, taking examinations and passing gold bar exams in Latin and ballroom.

They also played indoor bowls for a number of years in the same team, but dancing has always been a prominent part of their lives together.

Pam's interest in baking led her to take evening classes in sugarcraft and she has made As well as their four children Brenda, 56, Colin, 54, Helen, 52 and Rita, 49, Pam and Les have four grandchildren and one great granddaughter who all live and work locally.

To celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary the couple, who retired to Jessop's Avenue in 1994, held a small family party at Highlands End on September 3. The date was very poignant to Pam as her own grandparents, George and Ethel Halford, had celebrated their diamond wedding on the same date 60 years earlier.

Pam and Les were presented with a bouquet of flowers from their family and a card from the Queen that took pride of place on the table.

When asked the secret to a long and happy marriage, Pam said: "You have to work at it and share interests, with us it was farming and hobbies."