TWO lifelong Swindon Town fans are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary today.

Eric and Sybil Archer met at a mutual friends' wedding at Christ Church on VJ Day in 1945 and have been together ever since.

They've lived in the same house near the football grounds in the town centre for almost 60 years.

The couple have fond memories of supporting the football club and Eric regularly read match reports in the Adver, which he's bought every day for decades.

Sybil said: "We were mad about football, we used to have a season ticket."

Eric said: "I've never missed having my Adver."

The 92-year-old used to work on a farm in Wroughton and was in the army for six years during and after the Second World War.

Sybil said: "When he was on leave, he used to call on me and court me.

"My father said I was not to marry an army man so we waited two years before he was released from service, then he said 'I don't want to go home, let's get our own place', and proposed."

They got married at St Mark's six months later.

As a special wedding day surprise, Eric's sister hand-coloured parts of their wedding photo.

Sybil added: "It was such a nice day, though we couldn't get married until half two because he hadn't done his milk round yet."

Eric said: "Well, we had cows and they had to be milked, no matter what day it was."

After a honeymoon in the Isle of Wight, Eric came to Swindon and set up the Central Cafe, which was also a popular private taxi hire, opposite the railway station.

He ran the business for 40 years.

Eric added: "I built it up from scratch and ran it for 40 years, it was the only cafe in Swindon with a 24-hour licence."

Sybil added: "I'm so glad he started that business, I've never liked cows."

The couple celebrated their platinum anniversary at Cold Harbour last week, on Sybil's 90th birthday, with dozens of their loved ones.

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

Sybil had a surprisingly simple secret to their long and happy marriage.

She said: "Separate cars! He hates going shopping with me and loves gardening so he goes off to do his own thing."

Eric:"We've never had a bad word to say to each other and we still have freedom.

"She didn't want anybody else and neither did I."