Hazel and Stan Jefferys on their wedding day in 1952 and, right, celebrating their 60th anniversary

by Dan Bloom

Their eyes met at a dance in Chatham Town Hall and later that evening, she wrote "this is the one" in her diary.

Sixty-four years later, Hazel and Stan Jefferys have finally had a church wedding – on their diamond anniversary.

The 82-year-olds, who now live in Woodside, Wigmore, married with less than two weeks’ notice at Chatham Register Office on June 17, 1952, days before Stan was posted to Malta as a Navy scribe.

Mrs Jefferys, a former business studies teacher at Rainham School for Girls, said: "It was only brief. We had four days in Brighton and that was it.

"This year we decided we wanted a church service to renew our vows."

The happy couple were joined by more than 50 family and friends for the service on Sunday in St Matthew’s Church, Wigmore.

Mrs Jefferys, who is also the treasurer of Wigmore WI, said: "I’ve got the diary from the day we met, March 12, 1948. It's got a big heart with the words ‘this is the one’. The juicy bits are in shorthand!"

Mr Jefferys left the Navy and spent most of his career in Rainham High Street estate agents Buckey and Ward and Perry and Partners.

His wife said there was no secret to the success of their marriage.

"Don’t expect bliss all the time," she said. "Sometimes I’ve hated him but it’s tolerance, we love one another."

"I’m a horrible person and she still puts up with me," he joked.