UK’s longest married couple celebrate 81st wedding anniversary

Britain’s longest married couple have celebrated their 81st wedding anniversary – after pals warned they “wouldn’t last long”.

Ron and Joyce Bond, aged 102 and 100, said a bit of “give and take” was the secret of a long-lasting marriage. 

Mirror UK reports that the pair have seen 15 different Prime Ministers take power since they were wedded in 1941 after a “love at first sight” meeting.

Ron and Joyce, from Milton Keynes, Bucks, have claimed the title of Britain’s longest married couple after celebrating their anniversary on January 4.

A couple previously thought to be the record-holders – Ron and Beryl Golightly from Yorkshire – were married for 80 years before Ron sadly passed away aged 101 in December.

Joyce, a former Woolworths worker, said: “We never expected to reach 81 years of marriage, we know we are very fortunate to have achieved this amazing goal.

“It feels excellent! There is no boss in our relationship, we both give and take.”

The couple – who are now great-great-grandparents – married at Newport Pagnell Registry Office when Ron was 21 and Joyce was 19.

They went on to have two children called Eileen and Bill.

Ron, who served in the Second World War before working at a local garage, said: “Sometimes life is hard but we work through it together. We look after each other too.”