A "devoted" Northumberland couple are celebrating 70 years of wedded bliss.
Margaret and Edmund Cummings married in 1949 when Britain was still in the grip of war and Harry Truman was president.
Last week, they received a card from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating them on their milestone platinum anniversary.
The pair met at a dance in Rothbury when Newcastle-born Margaret moved to Thropton to be in the Women's Land Army during the war.
Those who know them say they were "meant to be".
Edmund, who is nicknamed Ebba, worked as a firefighter, for which he received the British Empire Medal in 1991.
Now 93, he cares for his beloved wife Margaret, 95, round-the-clock but his daughter Janice Johnson says he wouldn't have it any other way.
"They're just so devoted to each other," Janice 61, said.
Margaret and Ebba also have daughters Diane, 63, and Linda, 65, as well as six grandchildren, Stuart, Claire, Adam, Andy, John and Laura and seven great-grandchildren, Bryn, Nia, Sophie, Ellie, Charlotte, Rebecca and Georgie.
They celebrated their anniversary at a party with their nearest and dearest.
After the war, several girls who moved to Thropton to be in the Land Army ended up marrying local lads after meeting at dances - including Margaret.
Janice said: "Rumour has it, dad used to walk from Rothbury to Thropton to pick mam up, walk back to Rothbury and dance all night, walk her back to Thropton and then walk himself back to Rothbury.
"It's just lovely. Mam was a city girl but she never thought about going back."
After two years of dating, they married on September 17, 1949 and set up home in Rothbury.
Margaret is now a familiar face in the village after working at the local Phillips’ Newsagents until she retired aged 65.
As well as being a retain firefighter for the Rothbury crew, Ebba was also an avid beekeeper and still has four hives now.
He even won an award from the British Beekeeping Association for 70 years of beekeeping.
"He was so proud of that," Janice said.
"And he just loved being in the fire service. He would have wanted to do that full-time but when he applied he was 28 and he was deemed too old.
"They're just a really lovely couple and they've had a great life. They still have so many visitors because they've always been such a popular couple.
"When the card came on Tuesday from the Queen, they were absolutely thrilled to bits. They didn't know it was coming, my niece got it all organised.
"Dad was absolutely over the moon and they've had so many flowers."
Rothbury councillor Steven Bridgett said: "Ebba and Margaret are quite easily, at this moment in time, the longest married couple in the valley and it is fair to say that you would not meet a kinder, more caring pair than the both of them and I am pleased to say that they have certainly passed these qualities on to their family.
"For anyone who knows Ebba and Margaret, you come to see very quickly how they are both meant for one and other and how very much in love they are, seventy years later.
"I wish them all the very best on their platinum jubilee and I am sure there will be many more years of happiness in front of them."
