Gladys and Clifton Hubbard Jr got hooked on Bermuda when they came here for their honeymoon 50 years ago.

So when their golden anniversary rolled around, the Philadelphia couple knew there was only one place they could celebrate the milestone.

“We were here last 15 years ago,” Mrs Hubbard said. “This is our third visit. Because we celebrated our honeymoon is why we came here for our 50th.”

Mr Hubbard booked that first trip. He was eager to see if the sand was as pink as he had heard, and if the tales of spectacular tennis told by his coach were true.

“My instructor always said, ‘If you’re good you’ll get to play there’,” he recalled.

“It was probably me who suggested Bermuda [50 years ago] because I’d heard about it so much when growing up.

“I heard so much about the pink beaches but my ambition was to go to Bermuda and play tennis. I thought it was the tennis capital of the world.”

As it turned out, the Hubbards did not set foot on a court while they were here.

“We spent most of the time touring,” Mr Hubbard said. “We rented mopeds and drove all over the Island.

“We stayed at the [old] Bermudiana [hotel]. We remember how great a hotel it was. We fell in love with the ocean. I’d always heard about it. There’s nothing like it on the East Coast of the US. We have Atlantic City but the ocean’s a dirty brown.

“The blue water in Bermuda was nothing like I was used to seeing and I really was impressed.”

The Hubbards stayed at Ocean Winds, a bed and breakfast on South Shore, Warwick, on their latest trip.

Bermuda has changed a lot since their last visit but remains “as gorgeous as ever”, the couple said.

“This time we left the mopeds alone and took a lot more guided tours,” Mr Hubbard said.

“We learnt a lot about Bermuda that we didn’t know before. A lot of the things we saw when we came back brought back memories.”

Mrs Hubbard was equally as enthusiastic about the Island.

“He planned the honeymoon,” she said. “I knew nothing at all about Bermuda. It was a surprise and a very nice one at that.”

The couple have three children and five grandchildren.

“There’s been a lot of compromise and growing together,” said Mrs Hubbard about their enduring union.

“Faith and family are the cornerstone for us. We’re both in our seventies and we’re much greyer than when we were there [for our honeymoon] but hopefully also wiser.

“Keep in mind that God didn’t create perfect men or women. We’re works in progress.”

Mr Hubbard agreed: “As Gladys said, there’s been a lot of compromise, a lot of back and forth.

“She talks a lot and I listen a lot. We’re opposites.”