A COUPLE who have spent most of their lives together credited their ability to take the rough times with the smooth as the secret to their lasting love.

Gordon and Pam Clare, from Borrowby, between Thirsk and Northallerton, celebrated 70 years of marriage - their platinum anniversary - on Thursday (July 30) with their family.

Mr and Mrs Clare, aged 90 and 88 respectively, met when Mrs Clare was just 14 and married when she was 18, near their native Bolton.

Mr Clare said: “We didn’t go to the same school but I used to play football on the playing field occasionally.

“That’s when I first saw her. I knew she lived in the pub where her family worked so I used to go there often so I could see her.”

But Mr Clare worked with the Merchant Navy so he was often away.

He said: “Once, when I was about 17, I was in Baltimore in the US and found a large department store. It was during the war so I knew what the situation was with clothing back home so I wanted to buy her some lingerie – I didn’t know her size of course so I had to guess from a line-up of sales assistants.

“Then I had to sent it home by sea, so I knew if it got there I’d be lucky, but it did and I think she liked it.”

Mrs Clare said: “I didn’t want to take it out the packaging for what seemed like years to keep it nice.”

The couple were married in St Peter’s Church, Kelsall, Cheshire, in 1945, and their son David was born the following year, with daughter Pamela born in 1954.

Mrs Clare said: “Life was hard after the war, we had very little money and there was nowhere to live, but we got by.”

After the war Mr Clare trained to become an engineer and worked his way up the career ladder to finally lead the commission of nuclear power stations across the UK.

After his final project was completed, the couple moved to North Yorkshire in 1983 to be closer to daughter Pamela and her three young boys.

The couple helped bring up grandsons Fraser, James and Alastair, and now have eight great-grandchildren.

Mrs Clare said: “You have to be able to put up with what life throws at you and not go to the extreme if you do fight and fall out.”

The couple celebrated with family at the Crab and Lobster near Thirsk on Thursday (July 30) evening.