A MAN who has clocked up 50 years in his job, more than 50 years as a newspaper columnist, and now 50 years of marriage, said he would "not presume" to give today's youngsters any tips!

"They're better informed, nowadays," said Wilfrid Widdows, who celebrates his golden wedding anni-versary with wife June today.

The couple, who live at Dovecote Road, Droitwich, met almost 60 years ago, in 1942, when they worked at Worcester engineering company Heenan & Froude.

Wilfrid, now 89, arrived in Worcester with his parents from his native Monmouthshire in 1920, at the age of eight.

The Stanley Road School pupil went on to study at Worcester Technical School and started work with the Shrub Hill company as an apprentice draughtsman.

June, who is also celebrating her 76th birthday today, was a shorthand secretary, having graduated from the Commercial School at the Victoria Institute in Sansome Walk.

Her family had come to live with an aunt in Worcester two years earlier, having fled their Jersey home when the Germans invaded.

The couple were married at the Methodist Church, in Worcester's Pump Street, and held their reception at June's parents' house - The Limes, on Rainbow Hill.

Wilfrid, who was in the Home Guard during the war, went on to complete 50 years with Heenan & Froude, which later became Redman Heenan, mostly as the company's environmental services manager.

He took early retirement in 1974, but was retained as a consultant for three years, finally bowing out at 65.

However, he continued to work part-time at Droitwich plastics company Reddiplex for a further 16 years, finally retiring at 81.

He is also Britain's longest-serving chess columnist, having written the Evening News' weekly chess column for the past 56 years.

He learned to play at seven, joined Worcester City Chess Club at the age of 22, and went on to play for the county for many years.

He gave up playing a few years ago - "to concentrate on the organisational side" - and is still the competition secretary for the county.

The couple, who moved to Droitwich from Worcester in 1969, have also played bridge for decades and Wilfrid was treasurer of the Droitwich Afternoon Bridge Club for 12 years.

They also play a lot of canasta.

June, meanwhile, has delivered meals-on-wheels with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service in Droitwich for the past 32 years, is a member of Droitwich Spa Methodist Church and a member of the Women's Fellowship.

The couple, who says they have "never argued, never", will have a small family celebration with their daughter Vanessa, and Wilfrid's daughter from his first marriage, Stephanie, and her husband.