Bill and Vera Barnes celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.
IT WAS more than 70 years ago that Bill and Vera Barnes met at a dance in Shanklin and this week the couple celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary.
The couple, who married in 1940 at St Michael the Archangel Church, Shalfleet, celebrated with friends at a lunch at the New Holmewood Hotel, Cowes, on Tuesday.
There will be more celebrations next month when Mr Barnes celebrates his 100th birthday and the couple will be joined by their son, Roger, who lives in Australia.
Mr and Mrs Barnes, who used to run the Somerton Lodge Hotel and Parker’s hardware shop in Bembridge, have two grandchildren, two great grandchildren and last year the family welcomed the arrival of a great great grandchild.
"The only advice I would give to other couples would be that whatever difficulties you have, make up before you go to sleep, otherwise things always seem worse in the morning," said Mrs Barnes, 91, of Osborne Road, Shanklin.
Reporter: ross.findon@iwcp.co.uk