A LITTLE bit of give and take and a lot of luck.

That’s the secret to a happy marriage according to one couple, who have celebrated 70 years together.

Jim and Joan White, who ran a business together until their retirement, have lived in Alresford since their wedding day on April 22 1944, and not a day has gone by when they didn’t want to be around each other.

Jim, 91, said: “We worked together when we started up the fencing business, White and Etherington, and we just got on really well.”

The couple, who have lived at their home in Jacklyns Lane for most of their marriage, have two sons, Michael and Christopher, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Joan, 95, was a member of the land army when she met Jim, who was in the navy.

Jim had trained as a joiner and worked as an apprentice at Fairheads before he was stationed in Scotland during the Second World War.

“I came down from Greenock to get married and we had three days at my sister’s bungalow in Nicholson Place for our honeymoon,” he said.

“Our first house was at Brandy Mount, the houses were basically slums, but they were some of the happiest days of our life.”

Joan said: “We have been ever so lucky that we have got on and we have got our two boys and our grandchildren and our greatgrandchildren.

We’re just happy and we have always liked being around each other all the time.”

Jim added: “I ought to have had a medal for 70 years in service!”