Britain's oldest couple, 102 and 103, insist they've 'never argued' in 84 years

01 December 2023 , 18:22

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Dorothy and Tim Walter married in 1942 and say they have never argued

A husband and wife believed to be Britain’s oldest couple say they have never argued in 81 years of marriage.

Dorothy and Tim Walter, aged 103 and 102, met during the Second World War when they were just 18 and working at a Spitfire factory.

They married three years later in 1942 and went on to run a fruit farm, which they credit with boosting their longevity.

Tim continued to drive until the age of 95 and the couple lived at home until last year.

When asked how it felt to be his age, Tim joked: “It’s just unnecessary!” And Dorothy added: “We had no idea we would last this long.”

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Of meeting at the Supermarine factory in Woolston, Southampton, Tim said: “Because I was an apprentice, I stayed at the living quarters. I’d ride my bicycle to see Dorothy. Often an air raid siren would go off.”

Dorothy and Tim Walter on their wedding day (Walter family / SWNS)

Tim also recalled one friend’s lucky escape after a wartime raid: “A bomb landed and buried him up to his neck. He was all right. We were young enough to get through it.”

The Walters, who had two daughters, moved to Elmstone in Kent, where they bought the farm and bred pigs. They also had a boat, which they took around Europe.

“We made a lot of friends… we’ve been lucky,” Dorothy said.

Asked what advice they would give to younger couples, Tim said: “Providing you are content with life and your partner, you’ll be OK.”

The Spitfire production line at the Vickers Supermarine Works in Southampton (Getty Images)

The great-grandparents now live at the Oakfield House care home in Wingham, near Canterbury, Kent.

Manager Nikki Cross said: “We feel privileged to care for a couple married for so many years.”

A database of couples lists just Allan and Dorothy McDowell to have been married for longer, at 82 years and 64 days – 304 days longer than the Walters.

But their combined age of 201 is lower than the Walters’, at 205.

Dan Warburton