Celebration of an amazing 78 years of marriage and still counting

'Ethel's still the boss!' Retired engineer, 98, and wife, 97.

Tom and Ethel Husband (98 and 97 respectively), from Hebburn, South Tyneside, have proved that true love lasts after celebrating their 78th wedding anniversary

A husband and wife have proved true love lasts as they celebrated their 78th wedding anniversary, making them one of the longest wed couples in the country.Tom and Ethel Husband tied the knot in October 1934 and have enjoyed almost eight decades as a couple after getting together in the early 1930s.Tom, 98, and 97-year-old Ethel are still devoted to one another, although Mr Husband said: 'Ethel's still the boss!'

The couple celebrated their wedding anniversary with family and friends yesterday.
The Husbands live together in Hebburn, South Tyneside, where they raised their glasses to celebrate what is believed to be one of the longest marriages in the country.
The couple first met while strolling in Jarrow in the early 1930s.
The area was then known locally as 'the hen run', where boys and girls had a chance of romantic encounters, in the days before nightclubs and wine bars.
Mr Husband said: 'Ethel was a smart girl and she had a good sense of humour.'
The couple were married at St Mark's Church in Jarrow on October 8, 1934, but spent their honeymoon by spending a few days at the home of Mr Husband's grandmother in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear.

The couple were married at St Mark's Church in Jarrow on October 8, 1934, after they met out strolling

Mr Husband worked as a turner at the engineering firm Reyrolle in Hebburn and was promoted to become a senior production engineer during his career.
He remained a dedicated car enthusiast and driver until the age of 92 and dedicated much of his spare time to Sunderland Model Engineering Society.
Meanwhile, Mrs Husband raised their two girls, Joyce and Catherine, and two boys, Kenneth and John, devoting her spare time to making tapestries and sewing.
The happy couple have seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
Eight years ago, the couple celebrated their platinum wedding to mark 70 years together with a blessing at St John the Baptist Church, Jarrow.
In January this year, Karam Chand, 106, and his wife Kartari, 99, of Bradford, became the longest living married couple in the world, after celebrating their 86th wedding anniversary.