THE secret of a long and happy marriage, according to Leslie and Gwen Barnes, is to "work hard and work together and don't expect everything to come easy".
This weekend the couple are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary, with a party for their expanding family.
They first met just before the World War Two in the swimming baths in Milton Road, and were married on September 20, 1941, at St Paul's Church in Swindon town centre.
Although the church has since been demolished, the couple's love stands strong. Gwen, 80, said: "We made our marriage work through tolerance, commitment and sticking by the vows we made in church that day."
Leslie, 82, worked in the Armed Forces and at Swindon's Great Western Railway works, where Gwen was a clerk.
The couple have a son and a daughter, three granddaughters and a great-grandchild on the way.
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