A COUPLE believed to be Oxfordshire’s longest married husband and wife have celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary.

Ron and Sybil Belcher got married at St John’s Church, New Hinksey, Oxford, on April 22, 1935, and have spent more than three-quarters of a century together.

The couple, who have three sons, seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, are now aged 98 and 97, but still live independently in their bungalow in Kennington.

Mrs Belcher said: “We had two of our sons come in and several friends, but otherwise we had a quiet day. Neighbours have been dropping in for a drink.

“Now we are both getting on for 100, it does seem a long time ago that we got married.”

Mrs Belcher was born in Banbury, and moved to Oxford when she was a baby. The couple met as teenagers, and spent their first date walking around South Hinksey.

Mr Belcher worked at Cowley cabinet makers Greening & Co and as a handyman at Oxford University’s Trinity College.

He became a Territorial Army soldier in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry in 1930 and served in Northern Ireland and North West Europe during the Second World War.