FOR golden couple Jack and Dorothy Jenkins, give and take is the secret to a long and happy marriage.

The couple, who live in Durrington, met at a dance in Todmorden, Lancashire, when Jack was 27 and Dorothy was 17.

At the time, Dorothy, now 69, was training as a nurse and Jack, now 79, was working as a band knife cutter.

They got married at Todmorden Methodist Church on July 2, 1960, and enjoyed a two-week honeymoon in London.

When they moved to Durrington in 1969, Jack took up painting and Dorothy ran the village playschool and then ran a hairdressing salon with daughters, Mandy and Karen.

Nowadays Dorothy runs a charity stall at Salisbury District Hospital once a week for WVRS, and the couple – who have four granddaughters – enjoy using their free bus passes to go to Bournemouth.

They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary by taking the family to a Rod Stewart tribute act, and held a garden party with family and friends on Saturday.