Mother was right – fruit and vegetables really are key to a long and healthy life.

Although that is not all Frank and Frances King, both 90, put their 70 years of marriage down to. They also cite an even temper, an active lifestyle, and being easily pleased.

The couple have spent more than six decades of that time living in Mounts Road, Greenhithe, although their loving relationship goes back even further.

Frances said: “Both of us were born and raised in Horsham. We were neighbours when we were very young, before we went to school at five years old.”

Frank moved away when he was seven but they kept in touch, even during his time in the Navy during the Second World War.

He said: “I was in the Navy for about three-and-a-half years and when I came home, we got married. We got engaged when I was in India – we got engaged by post and I got my father to go and buy her an engagement ring!”

In fact, Frank reckons he saw more action during his time as a messenger for the Air Raid Precautions, an organisation set up to protect civilians from air raids.

Frances also contributed to the war effort by working in local factories making munitions.

When the war was over, they were soon keen to start a family.

They have four children; Pauline, 69, Robert, 66, Marion, 62, and Julian, 55; 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

The most recent addition, Joseph, was born on the first of this month. Frances also has a brother, Roy, 93, living in her hometown of Horsham, West Sussex. Frank has two remaining siblings; Elsie, 95, in Brighton, and John, 85, in Cornwall.

Greenhithe is where much of the family live and, despite all the developments in the town and surrounding areas, both Frank and Frances are still happy to call it home.

Frank said: “The changes are just progress and people have got to live somewhere. I do not think this area has been hurt too much really. It has been altered terrifically, but it could have been a lot worse.”

Frances agreed, although she has fond memories of just how quaint Greenhithe used to be.

She said: “When we moved here we were looking out at green fields both front and back. You could count the number of cars each day – you had the milkman, the baker, the butcher – because working-class people did not have cars in those days.”

“The changes are just progress and people have got to live somewhere. I do not think this area has been hurt too much really. It has been altered terrifically, but it could have been a lot worse.” Frank on the changes to Greenhithe.

Frank and Frances have never learnt to drive, but they have visited their eldest son and his family several times in Australia, and have also had the chance to stop off in Canada, Hawaii, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Frank said: “We went to Australia for the first time in 1985 and we went about every other year for 10 years, making different stops each time. We saw the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and we really liked Singapore, so we have been several times.”

Home is where the heart is, though, and the couple have been involved with local residents’ associations over the years. Frances was also a founding member of the Greenhithe Women’s Institute. They still play bowls weekly at the nearby community centre, although not competitively any more.

Frank said: “I still spend a lot of time gardening. We were quite well known locally at one time but most of the people we were involved with are gone; we are the only ones who have stayed.”

Frank and Frances are certainly still popular, though, and can expect a turnout of almost 100 family and friends at their celebrations at the nearby St Mary’s church on Saturday ahead of their platinum anniversary on Wednesday.