A couple who met at a Norfolk farm have said there is “no secret whatsoever” to their 70-year marriage.
Stella Spooner met her husband, Jack, at the age of 14 when he worked on a Toft Monks farm with her brother.
She said she wasn’t “too keen” on him at first but, after seeing him every day when she walked the dog and he cycled to work, love blossomed.
Mrs Spooner said: “When I got to know him I could see how kind and considerate he was and I guess that is when love came into it.”
Two years later Mr Spooner, then 19, joined the air force while Mrs Spooner wrote letters to stay in touch – even though they took one month to receive.
The pair then decided to marry at an early age after learning Mr Spooner would be posted to Singapore, where they would live for nearly three years.
Mrs Spooner said: “We figured the only way I could move out there was if we were married. I was 17 when I married him which was very young. We got married in Toft Monks and then spent a week living with my mum.
“Jack went to Singapore six months before I did and we continued to write letters during this time. I was looking very much forward to joining him there, although my family were worried.
“It took me a whole month to get to Singapore as I travelled by boat from Southampton. I had a great time on the boat and then we had a wonderful few years in Singapore and had our first child there.”
After returning to England, the couple lived in Toft Monks for 17 years and now live off Bracondale in Norwich.
Mr Spooner worked as a farmer and worked at a farm in Ashby St Mary until his retirement.
They have two children, Patricia Thompson and Hazel Chipperfield, and have seven grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Mrs Spooner said: “Our family give us a lot of joy and we love them all very much.”
Yesterday, Mr and Mrs Spooner celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
Mrs Spooner said: “There is no secret whatsoever when it comes to having a long marriage. You tolerate each other.
“You will have arguments no matter what or who you are, but it’s best to make up before you go to bed. It’s all about give and take.”
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