Obviously this Easter is a special time for Isabell and Ronnie Lewis because they will be enjoying their golden wedding anniversary, and we offer them our congratulations.

But there is more to their story than just a family celebration, although this may not be immediately apparent to younger readers.

For, unlike today, in 1960 it was unusual to see so-called ‘mixed marriages’ – a phrase which now seems outdated, unnecessary and clumsy.

Back then the fact that Isabell is white and Ronnie black meant that the couple encountered some opposition to their being together.

They both seem happy to recount these stories but it cannot always have been easy to cope with the sort of prejudice that was directed at them all those years ago.

What is clear is that they were in love and were not going to let anything stand in their way.

Today, when we look at Isabell and Ronnie, most of us will not see their colour but just a smiling, happy couple celebrating 50 years of marriage, and that is significant.

No-one is naive enough to say that we are now living in a perfect world devoid of racism and prejudice, but it shows just how far we have come and offers further hope for the future.