THEY met outside a pub aged 16 and 18 at the height of war.

Now, 70 years later, Paddy and Daisy West are as in love as ever.

Celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary, Mr and Mrs West, 90 and 88 respectively, had some advice for fledgling lovebirds – ‘it’s not easy but it’s worth it’.

They were married at Oxford Register Office in 1941 after meeting outside the Angel Pub in Bicester two years previously.

Mr West said: “I thought ‘this is the girl for me’ when I first met her but I don’t think I realised we would still be together after all this time.

“When you first meet you just see what’s going to happen and go along with it.”

He worked as a head chef in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, stationed at Burma.

Mr West was then transferred to the Ministry of Defence Sergeants’ Mess in Bicester, where he worked for 45 years.

His wife also worked in the mess as a housekeeper.

The couple lived in Bicester almost all their lives, raising a family of five daughters. They now have 14 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren aged six and 18 months.

In May they moved to Heathfield House Nursing Home, Bicester Road, Bletchingdon, where they celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary on Tuesday.

Mr West added: “I would say to young people today, they have got to be right with one another and do their best to keep together.

“It’s not an easy job to do sometimes, but we’ve been doing it 70 years and we’ve managed it.”

Sarah Osborne, activity co-ordinator at the home, described the Wests as a “lovely couple”.

She said: “If I had to be married for 70 years I would want to be just like they are.

“He absolutely idolises her and is by her side every minute of the day.”