With 60 years of marriage and a lifetime of memories under their belt, Stanley and Marion Stroud were clearly destined to be together.

But things may have turned out rather differently for the Lowestoft couple. A friendship between two Hackney families in the 1950s led to Stanley going out with Marion Fowler's sister, although it soon became clear he had eyes for Marion herself.

'Things didn't progress with them and Stan kept saying he'd take me out, but I never thought he actually would,' said Mrs Stroud. 'I was 16 when he first took me out and we married around six months later!'

The pair were married on May 31, 1958, and the new Mrs Stroud soon moved into her husband's home. A move to Walthamstow followed and, during the early years of a thriving marriage, the couple had three boys - Stanley, Steven and Tony - and now have nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mr Stroud had served in the RAF as a young man, before working for 25 years at the London electric wire works, while Mrs Stroud worked on the tea trolley at companies in Walthamstow.

Although the rest of their lives have been spent living at Grosvenor Road in Lowestoft, a desire to see new places very nearly led to a permanent move abroad.

'We've done lots of travelling and always used to go away twice a year,' said Mrs Stroud. 'Tenerife is one place that we really liked, and the former Yugoslavia.'

Mr Stroud added: 'We used to really get about and we actually lived in Tenerife for three months, but we missed the grandchildren too much.'

Family members travelled across the country to celebrate Mr and Mrs Stroud's 60th anniversary, gathering at The Dell care home in Oulton Broad where Mr Stroud currently lives.

They were overjoyed to receive a congratulatory message from the Queen, a proud moment for the couple who say a long and happy marriage requires only a few simple steps.

'There's no secret formula,' said Mrs Stroud. 'Communication, kindness and tolerance are the most important things. Only once have we ever argued and that was about money - it's just not worth it.'

Mr Stroud added: 'We've made sure never to go to bed on bad terms. It's all about the mere fact that she loves me and I love her.'