A CHARLBURY couple celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary say they in love just as much now now as they were 70 years ago.

Dennis and Daphne Cross, of Nine Acres Lane, first met at Reading Railway Station in 1944, where they fell for each other straight away.

They were wed in Charlbury two years later, and today are celebrating 70 years as husband and wife.

Mr Cross, 90, said: “It’s about give and take. Anything serious that comes up we talk it out with each other. You’ve got to be open with one another.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our married life from the beginning. We’re still as in love as we were at the start. A marriage is built on love.”

Mrs Cross, 95, added: “I speak my mind and he speaks his and we talk things through. It’s really very simple.

“We’ve had our ups and downs. If anybody hasn’t they’re damn lucky. But we’ve always been together.

“Nowadays things are very different. In our day staying together is what you did. If I died and came back today I wouldn’t know what was going on.”

The pair met when Mrs Cross, who was with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, was heading home to Middlesex on leave. Mr Cross, who was with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, was heading there too, where he was stationed at a military base.

Later on that day, the pair saw each other at a dance. They began courting and writing to each other before Mr Cross was dispatched to Iraq for two years.

During a month’s leave halfway through his service overseas, Mr and Mrs Cross tied the knot at St Mary's church in Charlbury, before Mr Cross returned to fulfil the final year of his service.

When the war, ended the couple found it difficult to find somewhere to live, and ended up staying in a caravan off the Northern by-pass in Oxford for about three years.

Mr Cross said: “You couldn’t get anywhere to live back then but we loved it. We were quite happy there.”

At that time Mrs Cross was working in a factory making radiators for cars, while Mr Cross worked for Pressed Steel in Cowley.

Then their first son, Alan, now 63, was born. The couple lived briefly with Mr Cross’s parents until they were able to buy a council house in Nine Acres Lane, where they still live today.

They went on to have a daughter, Denise, who is now 56.

Mrs Cross stayed at home to look after the children while Mr Cross continued in his career. He worked at Morris Motors in Nuffield and then as a painter and decorator before retiring.

Mr and Mrs Cross now have six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

The family will come together to celebrate the anniversary at The Bell in Charlbury this weekend.