THE exchange of a message brought a Broad Chalke couple together who are now celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.

Irene and Trevor Emm were married on July 12, 1952.

The couple first met in Salisbury towards the end of 1950. As Irene explains: "I had been given a message from Trevor's cousin who I was friendly with and had to give him the message."

But Irene, 83, says Trevor, 85, was not going to answer the message unless she went out with him.

"It sort of grew from there," she says.

On their first outing together they enjoyed a trip to the cinema.

They married at St John's Church in Lower Bemerton, enjoying lovely sunshine on the day, and then spent a week in Westcliffe for their honeymoon.

"We had to take our ration books," says Irene.

"We walked down to Southend and once a week you would see one of the waiters come out shouting 'dinner, dinner, dinner, eggy, eggy, eggy'. You were only allowed one egg a week."

Trevor grew up in Broad Chalke and worked on his father's farm. Irene was originally from Stepney in the east end of London but during the war the family came to Salisbury. Although they would regularly go back to London.

Trevor and Irene have lived in the village for almost 65 years.

They have three children, five grand children and four great grandchildren.

On the secret to a long marriage, Irene said: "We have our ups and downs but you just get on with things. You have good times and bad times."

The couple celebrated their blue sapphire wedding anniversary with a carvery at The Queen's Head pub in Broad Chalke.