A couple has celebrated 70 years of marriage.

William and Rose Clements, of Spansey Court, Halstead, met whilst working in Clapham, London, when Rose was 14 and William was 21.

When the Second World War broke out, William served with the Royal Army Service Corps stationed in Klagenfurt, Austria , rising to the rank of sergeant.

“We didn’t want to get married while the war was on because I didn’t want to bring up children during the war,” Rose, now 94, said.

“In 1945 when the war was over, Will telegramed to say he had been given two weeks leave.

“I had to get us a special license.

“I borrowed a wedding dress from a friend and Will borrowed a suit.

“I was quite good at needlework so I managed to patch up some bridesmaid dresses.

“Everyone was really good rallying around for us.

“There was a bus strike on as well so people had to walk to the abbey.”

They married on September 22, 1945 at St Benedict's Abbey, Ealing in what Rose remembers as being a “quiet but nice” service.

They enjoyed a week long honeymoon in Thaxted.

Will took a job working for oil company Chevron and they lived around London and Essex before moving to Halstead on Will’s retirement in 1979.

Rose was a prominent member of Halstead Art Group and Will had an allotment off Parsonage Street for many years.

The couple had three daughters and has seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

They celebrated their anniversary with a letter of congratulations from the Queen and had a lunch with their surviving two daughters and son-in-law at the Victory Inn, Wickham St Paul.