A COUPLE whose romance was sealed over 18 months of letter writing have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

Laura and George Bettis, of Eton Close, Cogges, Witney, met at a Christmas party in 1943, shortly before Mr Bettis joined the Royal Mechanical Engineers and was sent off to Germany.

Their romance blossomed through letters, as the lovebirds wrote to each other every few days.

And on Saturday, August 28, Mr and Mrs Bettis will mark their 65th wedding anniversary with friends and family.

The couple, who both lived in London, first met through Mr Bettis’ cousin Gladys, who Mrs Bettis knew as she had been engaged to her brother. Mrs Bettis, whose maiden name was Langley, said: “George asked his mum for my address and he wrote and I wrote back, it just went from there.”

While Mr Bettis, now 87, fought in the Second World War, Mrs Bettis worked in the factories making parts for aircrafts.

They were married in 1945 at St Michael’s Church, in London.

They later moved to Ruislip, in Middlesex.

Mr and Mrs Bettis – who have two children, Carol Becket, 63, and Gillian Dritsas, 59, and three grandsons – moved to Cogges 12 years ago.

They enjoy doing crosswords together and taking drives in the countryside, visiting beauty spots and garden centres.

Mrs Bettis, 86, said: “The secret is to be there for one another and to look after each other.”