A COUPLE from Cam who were born at the same hospital on the same day before going to the same school are to marry on Saturday.

Alison Blackwell and James Hodges share stories so similar that it would seem that it was destined for them to eventually be wed.

On the eve of their big day, the couple will share another big day as they both mark their 50th birthdays on February 3.

That day in 1967 both Alison and James were born at Berkeley Hospital and a few years later were in the same class at Cam Hopton Primary School.

At the age of eight, James left the school and although they both carried on living in the area – Alison in Cam and James in Frocester – it wasn’t until decades later that they would re-meet.

Firstly a few exchanged messages on social network Friends Reunited and then through Facebook, the pair finally organised to meet-up just after Christmas in 2012.

“After a while of not messaging each other out of the blue a few years ago James messaged me, he said hi and asked me when my birthday was – obviously knowing full well when it was,” Alison told the Gazette.

“We arranged to meet a few days after Christmas and then started seeing each other soon after.”

James popped the question in September 2015 whilst the pair was on holiday in Devon and their story has captured the imagination of friends and family members.

One friend of James, who he met through appearances with the DODS, was Frankie Telford, their teacher at Cam Hopton just before James left the school.

She presented the couple with one of their first wedding presents last month – a school photo, featuring the two eight-year-olds.

“So many people have said to us how crazy they think our story is,” Alison added. “I think it’s the fact that we have so many similarities that brought us together in the first place.”

James and Alison will marry at Cam Methodist Church on Saturday.