A COUPLE who wed 70 years ago say the best thing about their long and happy marriage has been watching their family grow up together.

Ken and Freda Rudd, of Ferryhill, County Durham, celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary surrounded by relatives yesterday (Saturday, June 1).

Mr Rudd, originally from Bishop Auckland, first caught his beau Freda Allan’s eye as a chorister at the Mission Hall, an offshoot of St James’ Church, in Coundon, where both worshipped.

They married at St James’ Church on June 1, 1943, and moved to Fifeshire, Scotland, where Mr Rudd was stationed with the Navy.

Mrs Rudd lived there for about seven years, two of which Mr Rudd spent stationed in Malta, before moving back to County Durham when he left the Navy.

They settled in Ferryhill and Mr Rudd worked for the National Coal Board at Tursdale until his retirement.

The couple have four sons - Allan, Leslie, Hugh and Stephen - ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

When asked how it feels to reach such a landmark anniversary, Mrs Rudd, 91, said: “It makes me feel old and decrepit, but he is old too at 93 next month.

“It is really significant, people keep saying they don’t know anyone who has celebrated 70 years of marriage so we do feel lucky.

“It has been nice to see our family growing up and doing alright, to share that is special.”