A DORSET couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniv-ersary surrounded by family.

Ron and Peggy Beale celebrated their 70 years together with a small family party at their house on Portland on April 15.

The couple met at a dance in Marnhull when Mr Beale was in the army and married in 1942 on Mr Beale’s 21st birthday.

Mr Beale fought and was injured at the taking of Hill 112 during the D-Day operations close to Caen.

He was invalided back to the UK and it took 18 months for him to be able to walk again. Mr Beale went into the police service and the couple lived for many years in Abbotsbury and Portesham. Mrs Beale worked in Abbotsbury post office and the pair ran a bed and breakfast in Portesham for a while.

After retiring from the police Mr Beale worked as a security guard for a holiday camp.

He is still active in the Dorset Regiment Old Comrades Association and the Royal British Legion.

The pair had three children: Michael, a retired head teacher who lives with his wife Angela in Perth, Scotland, Nigel, a naval architect who lives with his wife Sherry in New Orleans and Sue and her husband Clive who live on Portland.

More recently the couple moved to Portland to be nearer to their daughter.

They have six grandchildren; two in America, one in New Zealand and three in the UK, as well as ten great grandchildren and one great great granddaughter.

Daughter Sue Palmer said the secret to her parents long and happy marriage was sharing everything and looking after each other.

She said: “They always shared everything and worked together.”

She added: “Dad is mum’s carer now.

“He’s good as gold.

“He does the cooking because she can’t do it.”

She added: “They are very much a together sort of couple.”