FORMER Mayor of Okehampton Ray Vallance and his wife Margaret celebrated their golden wedding recently with family and friends.

The couple, who married at East Street Methodist Church, have three sons, two daughters, 14 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Ray grew up in Inwardleigh where he later had a farm and Margaret is an Oketonian who worked in a shoe shop in the Victorian arcade.

At the age of 31, Ray decided to change his occupation and became a BT engineer which is the job he stayed in for 26 years before retiring.

Retirement, however, did not mean a slower pace of life for Ray who joined Okehampton Town Council and was elected as Mayor for three years during the mid 1990s .

Margaret was involved with the Disabled Fellowship and is a talented flower arranger whose hobbies include making bouquets for weddings.

The couple, who live in Crediton Road, said the secret to a happy marriage was plenty of give and take and a supportive family.