THE oldest bus driver working in Britain celebrated his diamond wedding anniversary on Saturday - with the party he and his wife, Molly, couldn't have during the war.

At the age of 82, Ken Perry is in the Guinness Book of Records this year as the oldest coach driver in the country. But now his sons do most of the work - running the family business - so he and Molly, 79, now spend most of the time travelling around the country in their caravanette.

Molly said: "We met at a church hall dance in 1939, when I was 16. We were introduced by my cousin, and that was it - ping. We've been together ever since."

A year later Ken proposed while Molly was in hospital recovering from appendicitis. Because she was so young they had to keep the engagement a secret, and for two years she wore the ring around her neck.

"It's a lovely three-diamond ring set in platinum, and I still wear it," she said. "But back then my parents wouldn't have approved.

"By the time I was 19 I think they'd got used to him. He used to come round a lot." Their wedding was a simple affair at St Margaret's Church, Blackwood, and they honeymooned on Barry Island - which was getting a "belting" during the wartime bombing.

Molly said: "But it didn't stop us enjoying it - not one bit." Their four children, Bernard, Cheryl, Stephen and Roger, made sure no effort was spared for the party on Friday.

Molly said: "They picked us up in a limo with ribbons on it, and everything. We never had ribbons when we married.

"What happened? What didn't happen? It was brilliant. My brother made a special effort to come from Birmingham. He only came out of hospital a week ago, but was determined to come as I couldn't make it to his diamond wedding earlier this year."

Today, besides their four children, they have ten grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and still live in New Road, Woodfield-side, Blackwood.

The couple say they are still in love, with Ken still referring to his wife as his "sweetheart". "We've always taken life day by day, everything has been a team effort and we are still an extremely happy team," added Molly.