A HUSBAND and wife from Witney celebrating their diamond anniversary have joked the secret to a long and happy marriage is "the best of luck".

William, also known as Bill, and Myrtle Deacon have been married for 60 years today and will be celebrating with a family meal this evening.

The pair met in the mid 1950s at Cowley Barracks, where they were both attending a dance, and both realised in an instant they were meant to be together.

Mrs Deacon, 81, said: "I was just getting ready to go home when he walked in the door. And I turned to my friend and I said 'that's the man I'm going to marry' and she said 'don't be silly' but I was right."

The pair hit it off immediately and were married about a year later.

Mrs Deacon was working as a nurse at the time, at Oxford United Hospitals, and living in Faringdon, while Mr Deacon, who was originally born in Ireland, worked at Pressed Steel as a line inspector and lived in Walton Street, Jericho.

The pair married in Yorkshire, as Mrs Deacon's father, a vicar, moved around a great deal. Their wedding was a lavish one and Mrs Deacon admitted it was "quite expensive" at the time.

The pair had children Sandra in 1957 and Nicolas in 1961.

Outside of work, Mr Deacon was a keen player of Aunt Sally and was interested in horse racing, as his father was jockey.

Mrs Deacon enjoyed reading and caring for her family.

Speaking of the secret to a long and happy marriage, Mr Deacon joked it was all down to good luck.

Mrs Deacon added: "You have your arguments and your moments. You do things with family and you show them the right way. We're no different to anyone else."

Their family has grown over the years, with grandchildren Hannah, Elliott, Charlotte and Liam and their first great-grandchild Kody, age three.

The couple, who live in Quarry Road, will be having a big family party in May this year to celebrate their anniversary, as well as their dinner tonight.