WHEN Richard Savory was handed a picture of a young woman by an RAF colleague, little did he know it would change the course of his life.
For that woman was Mari-Elizabeth, whom he was to marry and go on to celebrate 70 years of happiness – and they are still counting.
The couple’s marriage has spanned an incredible eight decades.
Devoted Richard and Mari-Elizabeth say the secret to their success is compromise and caring for each other.
Richard, 89, and Mari-Elizabeth, 96, who live at Bryn yr Haul nursing home, Mold, celebrated their big day with friends and family.
The happy couple, who moved to Flintshire more than 15 years ago, spent much of their married life in Yorkshire where Richard worked as a teacher and Mari-
Elizabeth, originally from Rhos, was a school secretary.
Richard, who served in Burma with the RAF for four years, hails from Warrington.
The pair met after Richard was shown a picture of Mari-Elizabeth by a fellow serviceman.
She said: “He asked me to marry him straight away.
"I told him I would think about it but I didn’t have to think about it too long because nobody had asked to marry me before.”
Six weeks later they married at Groes Chapel, Penycae on May 15, 1940, but with a shortage of film during the Second World War they were unable to have a picture of their momentous day, although they were able to stage a photograph later.
Mari-Elizabeth said: “On the day it was trying to rain and it drizzled. My family made sure we stuck together. We lived day-to-day and it was a struggle at times. My parents were married 50 years, so I had a good example.”
The couple had one daughter, Roberta Jean, who died 32 years ago, but have two grand-daughters, Julia and Alison.
They were sent a telegram from the Queen congratulating them on their platinum anniversary.
Granddaughter Julia Knowles, 44, lives near Pontefract, Yorkshire with husband Stuart, said: “It is astonishing. They are very happily married.
“They know each other inside out. I wouldn’t like to say what their secret is, I’m only a novice on 18 years.”
Richard said: “The secret to a good marriage is compromise and looking after each other.”