John and Una Clements from Knighton celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on August 22.

The couple became boyfriend and girlfriend after they met on the No.9 bus going to school in Birmingham. They got married in 1952, not long after John finished his two-year national service, when John was 21 and Una 19.

For the first two years of married life they lived in a caravan during which time their son Peter was born.

Although the couple have lived in Birmingham for much of their lives, John’s home town was Knighton. He was born in Station Road, before his family moved when he was five. When the war broke out he was soon sent back to Knighton to live with his grandfather Reginald Pullen until it was considered safe for him to go back to his family when he was 11.

John worked as an insurance broker and Una worked in an office until their son was born and then later became the verger at a local church.

When Peter retired Una became verger of St John the Baptist church in Berkwell and John was her assistant for 20 years. They worked hard on the churchyard resulting in them winning the best kept church yard in the Coventry Diocese for two years in a row. John also became a reader in the church.

When they moved to Knighton 17 years ago John was a reader in Knighton, Whitton and Norton churches and later churches over a wider area.

The couple have both now retired and at the ages of 86 and 84 now enjoy their favourite hobbies of gardening, classical music and following horse racing.

They have two grandsons, a granddaughter and one great grandson. John has also been a lifelong West Bromwich Albion supporter.

On the day of their anniversary they received a special card from the Queen to mark the event.

Later in the week their son Peter visited them. The couple said the secret to their long and happy marriage is “you have to give and take”.