A North Carolina couple celebrating their wedding anniversary have returned to the island for their 35th visit.

Nancy and David Swann first came to stay at the Pink Beach Club for their honeymoon in 1962 and they fell in love with Bermuda. They have since made every effort to return as often as they can, bringing family and friends with them and even buying timeshare properties over the years.

Speaking from their cottage at the St George’s Club, Ms Swann recalled her and her husband’s first visit to the island. “I’d told my husband-to-be that I wanted to go somewhere warm and he turned around and told all our friends that we were going to Alaska. Then he said, ‘don’t worry we are going to go to Bermuda’.

“We were married in Cashiers [North Carolina] in a very old little historic church and then we went that night to Charlotte and flew out of there the next day to Bermuda.

“Our honeymoon was lovely, it was very special. We had the old-fashioned bikes that were motorised but had a pedal if you wanted to go up hill. We ran around all over the island we explored all of the beaches. We would get dressed up every night. It was kind of elegant and fun.”

Mrs Swann said that while the island had changed a lot over the years it still holds its special charms. “I just love St George’s. We love to walk and snorkel and we love the beaches. I walked down to the beach today, down the point and around and back. We love the little town [St George’s] and we are very sad to see it struggling to survive every year. There are a few more empty shops.

“One year we met Sir John and his lovely wife [Jacqueline] and we were sad to hear that she struggled with cancer and died recently — she was a lovely lady.”

The couple are planning to come to Bermuda next year to enjoy the 35th America’s Cup. Mrs Swann said: “We will definitely be here next year, it is very exciting for the island.”

This Friday marks the Swanns’ 49th anniversary and they will be celebrating on the ocean. “We are going to go sailing with our two grandsons on Friday evening with Captain Jerry on Ocean Breeze.”