A BIG banner announcing “Golden Wedding” stretched across their front door in Crediton and some “golden” balloons announced that Bob and Pat Browning had been married for 50 years.

Pat was from Clyst St Mary where her parents were farming and she was one of five children. Bob is a Kirton man and had attended Hayward’s School.

They were married on August 22, 1970 at St Thomas’ Church, Exeter and went to Newquay for their honeymoon. Bertram Authers took their wedding photographs.

Bob learned his trade as a bricklayer with Berry and Vincent, later working for Rodd’s, Dart and Francis and then Hodges Bridle and Co Limited in Exeter.

One of the many Crediton buildings he worked on was Boots on the High Street then with a branch of Kneels cleaners at the back.

He became a fire fighter, becoming a Leading Fireman when the fire station was on Market Street on a part of what is now the town square site, the two big granite pillars on the square being from the vehicle entrance on North Street to the fire station.

He attended so many fires but one Bob remembers was Bishop Blackall School in Exeter in 1979.

“We had big fires in the summer of, I think, 1976 with combine harvesters, tractors and hedges catching fire and even seven or eight grass fires in one day,” said Bob.

“Sometimes you’d get back at 5am or 6am and have to be at work for 7.30am. We were living at East Street, it was open to two-way traffic then and I used to race up there in my car to the fire station.

“I kept the car in the garage on Mill Street. We had a big bell in the house for a fire call. It was set off at the fire headquarters at Clyst St George and I could hear that bell while I was running down Mill Street to get the car before we had bleepers,” said Bob.

He remembers the time there was a call to pump out flooded properties on North Street. “We had to run a line down to Newcombes Meadow, that was the nearest place lower than East Street.

“We had just finished and had rolled up the hoses and everything went bang! the heavens opened again and we had to start all over again.”

Pat first went to school at Clyst St Mary then Montgomery when the family moved to Hamlyns Farm, Exwick.

When she worked at the egg packing station at Alphington, she would cycle to work. Later she worked for the Exeter veterinary clinic Carr and Miller and then for Crediton vet Warner Reakes.

Many people will know Pat from when she used to sell strawberries at the annual Exhibition with Flowers in Crediton Parish Church in the summer.

Bob and Pat both played skittles with Newton Rebels for many years but it was for the produce from his garden that Bob became well known, winning prizes at the Crediton Allotment Association shows in the spring and summer.

Bob’s father, Clifford, was a tinsmith, learning his trade with Hoskin’s when they were on the High Street. He loved his garden and allotments and must have encouraged young Bob with his knowledge.

Bob and Pat have two sons, one living in Peterborough the other in Exeter and two grandchildren.

Their 10 years-old granddaughter made the cake for their golden wedding family get-together and iced it with a gold figure 50 on the top.