Two marriages, one excruciating knee and a cancelled honeymoon, and 70 years on Bill and Kathleen Briant celebrated their Platinum wedding anniversary this week.

The couple who used to sneak a kiss and a cuddle in a cemetery before tying the knot, got married at Smannell Church in September 1947.

It was a double wedding extravaganza with Bill’s sister and her fiancé, Phyllis and Arthur Croombs also taking their vows.

Despite it being in the era of rations the pair of newlyweds still pulled off an 100-guest wedding reception at Little London’s Horse and Jockey pub.

The only mishap was Kathleen’s bad knee which had her shaking at the altar.

She said: “Just before my wedding I had a very painful knee, I didn’t take much notice of it and the day we got married I was kneeling at the altar and shaking because it was so painful, but everyone in the audience thought I was nervous!

“I had a nurse come in the evening and she said it was an abscess, I had treatment two weeks later and we couldn’t go on our honeymoon to Bournemouth.”

In their long, happy years the great, great grandparents said they’ve enjoyed many holidays since but their favourite was a “magical” two weeks in Sorrento, Italy for their 25th wedding anniversary which cost them £64.

The couple met around the Christmas of 1946, when Kathleen was lumbered with the last remaining single round the dinner table at a festive pub get-together.

Asked if it was love at first sight, Bill replied: “I suppose so.”

And nine months later they were married.

The secret to a happy marriage however isn’t always plain sailing, as the couple agreed they do have their arguments.

Bill said: “We do not always see eye to eye but when we did have arguments we used to go to bed and make up and that was it.”

Kathleen also shared pearls of wisdom for other couples, she added: “You have just got to get on with life and do what you think is best for you, your family and your children.

“A woman at a bus stop recently had a lottery ticket, kissed it and said ‘I’m going to be a millionaire’.

“I said I’m already a millionaire, not with money but because all of my family and friends are worth more than all the millions.”