CHILDHOOD sweethearts Ken and Miriam Lane never knew when they met at just 15 years old they would notch up their diamond wedding anniversary.

But it seems like fate that the couple were destined to meet because by a strange coincidence they both lived in Portsmouth but were moved to Wiltshire during the war.

The couple now live in Coleview, Swindon.

Miriam, 80, said: “We had never met in Portsmouth, our first date was in Marlborough when we went to the cinema to see The Wicked Lady.

“I was first attracted to his black wavy hair, that’s what he had way back then.’’ Ken, now 81, lived with his grandmother in Portsmouth and was moved to Ogbourne St George for the duration of the war.

Miriam and her family moved to the Manton racing stables after her eldest sister was killed in the Portsmouth bombing.

“We were given a flat in the stables out in the country. It was nice,” she said.

“We moved back to Portsmouth after the war and we got married in Portsmouth church.’’ Today, on their anniversary, the couple will travel back to the same church for a special service.

“My daughter is driving us down and we will see a friend I have had since I was a toddler and then go out for lunch,’’ said Miriam.

“Our big party will be on July 3 when our other daughter comes back from Jamaica.’’ The couple have five children, Deidre, 58, Gary, 56, Bev, 54, Kim, 51 and Ricky, 45.

And they have eight grandsons and one granddaughter.

Miriam says she and Ken don’t feel old and still enjoy dancing three times a week.

“When we were young we never dreamed of getting this old,” she said. “I don’t feel old. We go sequence dancing at Swindon and Haydon Wick. We went to Portsmouth to see Strictly Come Dancing on stage. It was lovely.’’ Miriam says the secret of her long and happy marriage is having a joke together and sharing.

‘’It’s give and take and weathering the ups and downs,” she said.

“Young people today don’t know what hardship is and they don’t have the same humour.’’ Ken was a landscape gardener and Miriam started off working a steam press and then did housework for people while her children were young before becoming an auxiliary nurse.

She worked until she was 64 and is now pretty skilful with her needle doing dressmaking and knitting. “My children still bring their repairs to me,’’ she said.