John Jackson, 87, and his wife Dorothy, 85, reached their blue sapphire anniversary yesterday, and are planning a huge party with their four children, nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and more.

John and Dorothy, of West Royd Drive, Mirfield, met at a dance in 1938.

Dorothy, who lived in Horbury with her parents at the time, served with the Auxiliary Territorial Services (ATS) during the Second World War. But John was a train driver so his was a reserved occupation.

The couple married in 1943 at Trinity Methodist Church and went to Morecambe on honeymoon.

John said: "That was the only place you could go then. You were allowed to go to the west coast but the east coast was too close to Germany. It was boarded up."

John's career on the trains started in 1935 as a cleaner. He then became a fireman - shovelling coal to the steam train's fire - and then in 1948 he became a driver. He stayed on the railways until his retirement in 1983.

His job even brought him 15 minutes of fame when he appeared as a train driver in the 1959 film 'Room at the Top' with Simone Signoret and Laurence Harvey.

The couple are keen travellers and have enjoyed many foreign holidays. The first time Dorothy flew was to stay with her daughter in Dallas, Texas.

And Dorothy is a keen chorister, singing in choirs with the ATS, and with John with the University of the Third Age at Mirfield Baptist Choir.

Dorothy said: "We have seen a lot of marriages over the years. There are another three this year. All the grandchildren are getting married now.

"I have made all the wedding cakes - more than 20 - and that takes some doing. If you don't know how to do it you'll make a terrible mess. It's a recipe we've had for years. I picked it up from my aunt. People say it's the nicest cake they've known."

Dorothy credits their happy marriage to compromise.

She said: "We have never fallen out. We have always compromised and talked about things, and that's it. You have to give and take. We have always come to an agreement. And we have a good family - they are very good children."