David and Sylvia Bazell celebrate 50 years of marriage.

A ONE-TIME junior newspaper reporter, who received intriguing answers when asking golden wedding couples what their recipe was for a happily married life, this weekend celebrated his own 50 years of marriage.

David Bazell, a former editor of the Exmouth Journal, and his photographer wife Sylvia, were married in Bayford, Hertfordshire, two years after meeting in the county town where David was a district reporter and Sylvia the receptionist at the Hertfordshire Mercury.

The couple have lived in Devon since 1962, when David moved to Exmouth to join the staff of the Exmouth Journal. Apart from a year with the national newspaper of Wales, the Western Mail – in the year of the Aberfan disaster – he remained with the paper until full-time retirement in 2000.

Sylvia, who earned an ARPS distinction in black and white photography, also worked as a freelance photographer for the newspaper and for some years was responsible for a Junior Journal page within the newspaper.

This weekend’s celebrations included a dinner party for 40 guests at the Royal Beacon Hotel, in Exmouth, secretly organised by the couple’s sons, Paul and his partner Sacha, and Steven and his wife Catherine. Among others present were David’s brother Colin and his wife Avis and daughter Claire and Sylvia’s brother Eddy and wife Rachael, close friends and a number of table tennis colleagues.

Another surprise was the appearance of popular singer Ian Boyd, who entertained guests for more than two hours.

David and Sylvia, who now live in Broadclyst after having homes in Exmouth and Clyst St Mary, completed the celebration with a three-day stay in Barcelona.

So what was the couple’s recipe for reaching the golden milestone?

“The more time you spend apart the more you appreciate the time together!” they said.