AFTER 60 years of happy marriage, George and Nancy Skuse say the secret to their success is persistence, having different interests – and lots of sex.

Mr and Mrs Skuse, from Cirencester, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on March 19 and enjoyed a big party with 72 family and friends at the Masonic Hall in town.

The couple, now in their 80s, met at a country dancing evening class when he was 23 and she was 20, and married a year later in Coventry in an intimate ceremony with just 30 guests, followed by a reception in the restaurant of a nearby theatre.

Despite their happiness, the couple admit it was not quite love at first sight.

“As far as I’m concerned, we were too poor at the time if we had wanted to separate,” joked Mr Skuse.

He said the key to their happiness was “persistence and lots of sex”.

Mrs Skuse added that it helped that they both had different interests.

“We both have strong personalities,” she said. “There were difficult times – ups and downs. Some how or other we weren’t a family who had a straight line.”

After marrying, they moved to Stroud where Mr Skuse was a lecturer at Stroud Technical College and Mrs Skuse was an infant school teacher. Her most recent job was at Powell’s Primary School.

They moved to Cirencester after wanting to find a house within walking distance of the shops and have now lived here for 34 years.

A sociable pair, the husband and wife have a large circle of friends and have been part of many groups in Cirencester.

Mrs Skuse was a member of the Mother's Union and the Women’s Institute, among others, while Mr Skuse has interests in photography and diving.

The couple, who are off on a cruise later this month to celebrate their anniversary, have a large family – with five children, 11 grandchildren and six great-grand-children.