They have gone for gold, proved that diamonds are forever and now they've hit platinum.

William and Constance Sirett, from Stratton Audley, near Bicester, joined a very select group of couples when they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

The First World War had ended only a few years earlier when Mr Sirett, now 93, first set eyes on his wife-to-be.

Mrs Sirett, now 88, worked as a maid at Addington Manor, in Buckinghamshire, while Mr Sirett worked on the farm on the estate. It was 1924 when Mr Sirett was asked to accompany her back to the manor house one evening and, from there, love blossomed.

Mr Sirett said: "I can remember her as a beautiful girl and I just fell in love with her from that moment.

"She was just a very nice person."

One of their first dates was to the Wembley Empire Exhibition later that year. And the couple still have a King George V mug bought at the exhibition.

"We had to really save money to go there, but it was worth it," added Mr Sirett. The couple courted for five years before getting married at the parish church in Adstock, Bucks. But sadly, they have no record of the event as the photographs were badly damaged during printing.

They moved to Newton Morrell, near Fringford, in 1938 and Mr Sirett worked as a carter on a farm while Mrs Sirett continued in domestic service. The war years failed to separate the couple, as Mr Sirett continued to work on the farm producing food.

Mr Sirett worked for the Smith-Bingham family for more than 50 years, and finally retired in 1981. By then, the couple had set up home in Stratton Audley, having moved to the tiny village five years earlier. During their retirement years, Mrs Sirett enjoyed knitting while Mr Sirett was an enthusiastic field sports supporter.

"We've had our rows over the years, but nothing too big," said Mrs Sirett. "I guess we just love being together and we enjoy each other's company."

The couple have three sons and a daughter, ten grandchildren and 18 great- grandchildren.

A family get-together was held at the family home to celebrate the milestone.

Story date: Tuesday 13 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.