A COUPLE who say their whole life has been a honeymoon celebrated 70 years of wedded bliss this week.

On August 19, 1943, George and Gwen Millin, who never had a proper honeymoon because George was in the Army, were married in All Saints Church in Bisley.

George came home on compassionate leave for 48 hours to marry Gwen, whom he had known since childhood as they both attended Bisley Blue Coat School together

."George and I had our first kiss when I was 14 and we have been together ever since," said Gwen, who was 17 when she married and is now 87.

"We just had a quiet reception with mine and George’s parents and two of our sisters and then we spent one day together before he had to go back over to Germany."

George, who was 19 when he got married and is now 89, added: "Because I only had a couple of days on leave we never had a honeymoon but that doesn’t matter because our whole life has been one."

The couple's son Douglas was born during the war in 1944 and after George left the Army in 1946 two daughters Pat and Kay arrived.

Now they have seven grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, most of whom attended the couple’s anniversary party at the George Inn in Frocester on Sunday.

The pair asked for donations in lieu of presents to be made to the Royal British Legion, of which George is a member.

To celebrate their anniversary on Monday, the couple spent the day with close family and friends at Highborder Lodge care home in Leonard Stanley, where the pair have lived since last year.

When asked for the secret of their 70 years of wedded bliss, Gwen replied: "Well just look at him, how could I ever not be happy."