Honesty is the key to a long and prosperous marriage according to Jacqueline Prior, who marked her 73 wedding anniversary to Charles with a family meal.

The 93 and 94-year-old of Mill Road, Hawley, Dartford, marked their special occasion with a meal at their local, Chequers, on Monday, May 28.

After meeting at a dance in Sutton-at-Hone in 1940, the pair joined the army before getting married on Charles return from training in Canada.

The duo, who married in St Joseph's Church, Greenhithe, which has since been knocked down, set up home in Crayford before moving to Hawley.

After the Second World War Charles spent time working at an iron foundry while Jacqueline worked as a shop assistant.

Keen golfer, Charles, said: “I suppose the secret to a long marriage is give and take and having a sense of humour.

“The fact we can have an argument and it gets all over a done with.

“We never had any really bad arguments.

“We are 94 and 93 and I just wish that it could go on forever because we are really happy together.

“We were dancing when Jacqueline saw me walking through the dance.

“We got talking as we were friends since then.

“We were going out for a couple of years and Jacqueline and I decided to join the army.

“When I got back from training in Canada we decided to get married.”

The couple have two children, Michael and Wendy Prior, eight grand children and nine great grand children.

Jacqueline provided her wisdom to maintaining a long marriage.

She said: “Be careful and share everything, don’t keep secrets.

“You have to be open with each other.

"There have been ups and downs like all marriages.

“Being married to Charles feels quite good; we would do it all over again.”