A SELBY couple celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary today.

John Williams, 93, and Everald, 91, have lived in the town for more than twenty years, but met as teenagers while working in a family grocery store in Chesterton, Staffordshire.

Three years later, John was called up for National Service with the RAF, and served in the Second World War in Lahore, India, servicing and repairing aircraft, and while abroad he got regular letters from Everald.

After being demobbed and going back to work in the store, love bloomed, and they were married at Chesterton Parish Church on March 26, 1949.

When John retired, aged 55, from the shopwork due to ill health, he was an inspector with Tesco, and in 1998 moved to Selby to be near their daughter Pam Lunt and son-in-law Alan.

Everald kept busy with a hobby making celebration cakes for people.

John said: "There were always iced cakes all over the house. She had a good reputation for making cakes."

The couple - who have a daughter, Pamela, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and celebrated with a family party at Kellington Manor last weekend - said their recipe for a happy marriage was "working together and always being close to each other".