A Hythe couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with "unwavering loyalty" to their vows.

Bob Fells and his wife Stella marked the special milestone last month at Care UK's Carpathia Grange in Southampton Road.

Their love story began at 17 and 16 when the couple met at a cricket match.

Stella said: "Bob wasn’t the best at batting, so I stepped in to assist.

"It wasn’t love at first sight but love blossomed."

The duo exchanged vows at Richmond Worth on July 3, 1954, and are proud parents to twin daughters, a son, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She said: "Bob worked outside the home while I cared for our children and this arrangement worked very well for us.

"It’s always been important to have shared responsibilities, mutual goals and aligned views in our journey together."

On choosing Bob as her life partner, she joked: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Bob, a former engineer, shared how his parents' separation when he was seven shaped his determination for a long-lasting marriage.

He said: "It is important to be tolerant and have a commitment to working through challenges together.

"We have unwavering loyalty to our marriage vows, which is especially vital in an era when long-term marriages are becoming less common."

The special day was celebrated with decorations, a delicious cake and loved ones at the care home lounge.

Pooja Dhoot, home manager at Carpathia Grange, said: "We were honoured to be a part of such a special moment for Bob and Stella.

"They are a wonderful couple, with lots of wisdom about building a strong and successful marriage that I think we could all learn from.

"Happy anniversary, Bob and Stella!"

Carpathia Grange is a three-storey care home which provides residential, dementia and nursing care.

The home features 62 en-suite bedrooms and has been designed to enable its residents to live actively.