A 91-year-old Chard couple who first met when they were evacuated to Chard together have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

Frank, who is known to his friends as Sam, and Emily Hobbs, of Chesterfield, celebrated their platinum anniversary with family and friends at the end of last month.

The pair got engaged back when they were both 18, and then married three years later when they were both 21.

Now both at the age of 91, they are as happily married as ever.

Debbie Hobbs, one of the anniversary couple’s two children, said: “The anniversary was on June 28. They had a celebration with all the family at the start of the month.

“They both got evacuated down here during the war and ended up living next door to each other.”

Emily was born in East London and Frank was born near the centre of the capital in Bermondsey.

After being evacuated to Chard together, Frank started to work in the army and by the young age of 19 he had already progressed to being a commissioned officer in the army.

Emily stayed in Chard to wait for her husband-to-be to return from service for their big day.

Debbie mother has got four sisters and ‘Sam’ has two sisters who were all bridesmaids at the wedding and most of whom were able to celebrate the big day with them again 70 years on.

Debbie added: “They have so many great stories. They had to move the cake from the bakers to the church in a pram because they didn’t have a vehicle that could do it.

“They still live at home together. They are still completely independent too and they do their own shopping. They live in Chesterfield and have for 53 years.”

Frank and Emily have two children, Debbie and her brother Stuart, who is 65.

Stuart has a daughter Jennifer who has two children, Lilly who is three and Amelia who is about nine months old, and a daughter Kate who has a son George, who is one.