IT WAS a pair of yellow shorts that caught the eye of a Kidlington resident and began a marriage that has lasted for 50 years.

Brian Hawtin, a retired accountant for Oxfordshire County County, was watching a game of hockey in 1963 when Jo Browne caught his eye.

Mr Hawtin, the current Oxfordshire Scout treasurer, quickly ran up to the sports pavilion to charm his new crush and begin a relationship that has lasted for half a century.

The couple, who have two children David and Trisha and two grandchildren Jessica and Emily, got married in Bexley Heath in Kent on May 1, 1965, before moving to Waverley Avenue in Kidlington two weeks later.

Mr Hawtin said: “We were both working at Lloyds Bank and we were both on different courses.

“But we did not go out together until I saw her wearing a small pair of yellow shorts, running up and down playing hockey, and I was transfixed by these yellow shorts.

"So I started playing hockey myself for the Lloyds Bank men’s team, and we met in the pavilion afterwards and the rest is history.

“I think the secret of a long and successful marriage is to find a good lady – I am not the easiest person to live with and I am sure my wife will agree with that.

“I think it was her love and affection that got me through the hard times.”

In a world of digital communication, the couple said one thing that helps maintain a successful marriage is talking face-to-face when encountering difficulty.

Mrs Hawtin, a retired secretary for the Social Services in Littlemore, said she was embarrassed when she found out her husband had noticed the yellow shorts.

The 72-year-old added: “I was quite embarrassed about the yellow shorts to be honest when I heard he was watching me.

“I don’t believe people when they say they never have an argument," she went on to say.

“You should not go to bed together without speaking to each other and you should not go out the house without talking to one another.

“And you must also say goodbye to each other even if you are not talking.

“I think the secret is to really care about each other and we love each other at the end of the day.

“I think these days couples don’t talk to each other they just text and email, but you can tell a lot about someone’s facial expression."

“He drives me up the wall sometimes but I love him to bits.”

Mr Hawtin said that he will be retiring from his position as Oxfordshire Scout Treasurer this year after five years in charge.

Now after all these years, Mr Hawtin said the couple kept the shorts for “nostalgia, because it is what attracted me to her”.