BANK robbing couple Bonnie and Clyde were in the news 69 years ago when Fred and Herbert Turner made their wedding vows.

Freda, 87, and 88-year-old Herbert Turner from Stratton were today enjoying a slap-up lunch with family for their 69th wedding anniversary.

They first met in 1932. Herbert, then 18, was working for a hunt, Freda, just 16, was the daughter of the stud groom attending one of the hunts.

Herbert said: "I liked Freda from the first time I saw her."

They married two years later at St Sampson's Church in Cricklade.

They later moved to Leicestershire as part of Herbert's job with a hunt, but after falling out with his boss, they came back to Swindon two years later and moved into the house in which they live today.

During the war Herbert joined the RAF and was posted to Wick in northern Scotland and later the Shetland Islands to help defend airfields from attack.

Later he joined the first squadron of the newly formed RAF Regiment and helped in the send off of gliders to France for D-Day.

He later travelled through France, into Belgium, Holland and Germany and took part in a victory parade in Berlin before being demobbed in December 1945.

Returning to Freda after five years of war, he went back to work to the engines department at Vickers, for two years, later working for Colbourne Building and Public Works Company for 20 years before retiring from record player firm, Garrods Engineering.

Freda became a familiar face in Blunsdon working on the local milk rounds before joining a bakery round in Stratton and helping out Arkell's brewery for several years.

"I don't believe any of those people who say they have never argued when they are married," said Freda, "We've had our ups and downs. The secret to a happy marriage is to not take those arguments to bed."

The couple have one daughter, two grandchildren, four great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren, and Freda and Herbert, hope the whole family will be together for the platinum anniversary next year.

Herbert said: "I am very proud of our long marriage, I don't know any other people who have been married as long as us. We are just taking it one year at a time. It will be lovely to celebrate with the whole family this time next year."