A pair of pen pals whose romance blossomed when they wrote to each other during the Second World War are celebrating 60 years of marriage tomorrow.

Ken and Margaret Lake, of Kennet Road, Radley Green, Abingdon, started writing to each other when Mr Lake, who worked in communications for the RAF, was posted to Sri Lanka.

A friend asked Mrs Lake - née Goodenough - to write to Mr Lake, as those at home were encouraged to write to the men posted overseas.

Mrs Lake said: "We got on quite well as he was good at writing letters. He came home on a month's leave and that was when we met each other. He had to go back again and we carried on writing, but it was different to how it was before.

"It was just one of those things, love at first sight. We did know quite a bit about each other through the letters, which made quite a difference."

The couple, both 83, were married in St Helen's Church, in Abingdon.

They have two children, David, 58, and Trevor, 55, and grandson Barry, 29.

Mrs Lake said the secret to a happy marriage is working together.