A DEVOTED Cradley Heath couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this week and toasted a lifetime of love.

Barbara and Jeffrey Edge fell in love as teenagers at Langley's giant Myers factory after Jeff impressed her with his old fashioned manners.

Barbara, aged 91, said: "Jeff was such a gentleman, he always held the door open for me and walked on the right side of the pavement when we went out."

The pair got married at Providence Methodist Church in Colley Gate and went on to have two children, Robert and Barbara.

The couple were regulars on the dance floors of the Black Country for decades and were members of the sequence dancing club at St Thomas Church in Stourbridge.

Jeffrey, aged 93, praised his wife, he said: "Barbara has been wonderful, she has looked after me from the beginning, I think the secret of a good marriage is for the man to keep his mouth closed unless he says 'yes'."

To mark their platinum anniversary Barbara and Jeff's family took them to Brokencote Hall for dinner and on the big day they opened their house so old friends could pop in and say hello.

Barbara added: "I think the secret to any relationship is just to be nice as you can to the other person, whether that is your husband, friend or anyone."