A COUPLE who met on the spin of a dustbin lid at a church hall social evening are celebrating their golden wedding.

Stuart Scott, 75, of St Helen's Road, Weymouth, met his wife Diana, 72, when she came across from the island of St Helena to do a two-year teacher training course at the old Weymouth Boys College.

Stuart said: "I met her at the social evening where girls had to spin a dustbin lid and call out a boy's name before the lid stopped spinning. She called out Stuart' and that was me sorted for the next half century!

"I courted her for two years and then lost her because she had to go back to St Helena to honour her agreement with the government which had paid for her training.

"I was very upset, but we corresponded and eventually I went over to see her, took the bull by the horns and asked her to marry me. I knew I was in with a chance because she had asked me to bring my bicycle with me as we both loved cycling!"

The couple were married at St Matthew's Church, St Helena, on May 10, 1958.

Stuart was working for the Post Office as a postman, and he took six months' special leave to pursue his love - the voyage alone out to St Helena took a fortnight.

Diana had to stay on the island to finish her government contract, and Stuart went home to wait for her.

He said: "Four months later she was back with me in Weymouth and we have never been parted since."

Stuart's career as a postman and part-time commissionaire at Weymouth Pavilion ended when he retired in 1990. Diana's career went on hold for a while as the couple had four children.

But in 1978 she started part-time work at Dorchester telephone exchange and she soon returned full time to teaching at St Philmena junior and secondary school in Wyke Road, moving to the Convent of Sacred Hearts in Weymouth where she worked until 1990.

Stuart is in no doubt what goes to make a successful marriage.

He said: "It is love for each other.

"Diana is quite a tolerant lady and she is a dedicated mother and wife."