An Accrington couple celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary by raising £825 for the Accrington Blind Society.

Eddie and Patricia Pearson marked their 50 years of married life at a party with family and friends at the Poplar Social Club. Instead of presents they asked for donations.

The happy couple, from Exchange Street, met at a coffee bar in Clitheroe in around 1960.

Eddie, 73, said: “I lived in Church and my friends and I used to take our motorbikes to the cafe because that was where all the Clitheroe girls would hang out.”

Eddie started his working life at the brickworks and moved on to Senators at Huncoat before he retired.

Eddie and Patricia on their wedding day in 1965

Patricia, 70, still works as a carer for Cross Roads.

The couple, who have children Marc, Angela and Traci, said the day was made even more special by the arrival of their new great-grandchild Toby.

Eddie added: “My granddaughter Nikita gave birth that morning and she came to the party with her little boy for a few hours.”