Platinum, gold and sapphire time as Gwent family celebrate 165 years of married life between them

Beryl and Gerald Paul should have been heading off on a cruise this week to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary with their two daughters, who are also celebrating milestone anniversaries.

But the Covid-19 pandemic put paid to their plans.

Instead the couple, who live in Cwmfelinfach, visited their daughter Brenda Evans in Risca for a surprise family get-together in her garden with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their other daughter Ann Prosser, who was visiting from her home in France.

Ann and her husband Martyn celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on July 26 while Brenda and her husband Wynne will mark their golden wedding anniversary in September.

Between the six of them, they have been married for 165 years.

Beryl and Gerald Paul, on their wedding day on July 29, 1950

Beryl (88), who was born in Cwmfelinfach, met Gerald (90), of nearby Brynhowell, when she aged about 13, outside the Workmens Hall in Cwmfelinfach. They were married on July 29, 1950 at Bethesda Chapel, Rogerstone.

When Gerald left school he went to work at Nine Mile Point Colliery with his father, before moving to work at Lysaghts in Newport and then as a pantry boy in a big house near Kidderminster. That was all before he was 18, when he was called up at the end of the war and sent to Malaya and Singapore.

He then worked at Alcan in Rogerstone.

Beryl left school at 14 and had many jobs including being a maid in a big house near Worcester before she finally ran Beryl's general store in Cwmfelinfach for 17 years.

As well as their two daughters Brenda and Ann, Beryl and Gerald have five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

Gerald was a keen footballer in his younger days and played for Wattsville and Ynysddu but now his sport is rugby and he enjoys following the fortunes of Wales.

Beryl and Gerald Paul, who celebrate 70 years of married life on July 29, 2020

When they retired the couple moved to King Street.

They had caravans in Aberaeron for more than 30 years and spent many happy family times there. They also enjoyed international travel and have visited Canada, America and Australia.

They will be sharing a quiet family afternoon to celebrate.

Martyn and Ann Prosser on their wedding day on July 26, 1975

Ann and Martyn Prosser were married at St Theodores Church, Ynysddu on July 26, 1975, just before their parent's silver wedding anniversary. The couple had met in 1971 at Cwmfelinfach Youth Club at the Workmen's Hall.

The couple, who moved to France in 2007, have three children and two adopted sons, and seven grandchildren.

Martyn worked in Penny & Giles in Pontllanfraith and later in Alcan Rogerstone.

Ann worked in GPO in Cwmcarn and later for Caerphilly Social Services.

Wynne and Brenda Davis on the day married, September 5, 1970

Brenda met her husband Wynne when he was a delivery driver to the local shop she was working in for the summer. They married at Bethany Chapel,Cwmfelinfach, on September 5, 1970. They have two children, Gareth and Cheryl, five grandchildren and one great grandson.