<p>The key to a lasting marriage is a hot meal every night and 'looking in your purse' while shopping, say couple, believed to be Britain's longest-wed, ahead of their 77th anniversary.<br /><br />George Loftus, 100, and wife Phyllis, 94, have seen 16 prime ministers take office since they married.<br /><br />They met in the 1930s and married at a register office on August 10, 1940, when she was just 17.<br /><br />Phyllis revealed the secret of her long marriage to George was a "good meal and a chat".<br /><br />"Couples are not the same these days. If people loved each other like we do, it would be a better world. My mother gave me these guidelines 75 years ago and we have kept to them," Phyllis was quoted as saying by the Walsall Advertiser.<br /><br />"When shopping and you see something, look in your purse and if you can afford it and need it, ok. If not then shut your purse," she said.<br /><br />"Always keep your husband well fed. We always have a good hot meal every night and a chat...We've done that every night of our marriage and it's kept us strong," Phyllis said.<br /><br />They first started dating before World War-II, when Phyllis was a trainee nurse at Birmingham Children's Hospital.<br /><br />In the 76 years since, George has worked as a fireman, a pit worker and a metal labourer until he retired in 1981 at the age of 64.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Phyllis became a bus conductor, before working as a councillor for Chadsmoor on Cannock Urban District Council in the 1950s.<br /><br />She then moved on to become a judicial official in 1963 and was a magistrate for 30 years before retiring at the age of 70.<br /><br />Despite reaching such high office, Phyllis has always seen feeding her loving husband as her main priority.<br /><br />"I was a housewife. I have always cooked. We don't have any convenience food in this house. It's all done by me," Phyllis said.<br /><br />"When the pension comes in we have always sat either side of the table and worked out what we can spend. We have never owned a house, owned a car, never drank of smoked, because we have always had what we can afford. But we have never owned a penny," she said.<br /><br />"I have always said as long as there is good food on the table that's all that matters. The way to a man's heart is through the stomach," she added.<br /><br /></p>
<p>The key to a lasting marriage is a hot meal every night and 'looking in your purse' while shopping, say couple, believed to be Britain's longest-wed, ahead of their 77th anniversary.<br /><br />George Loftus, 100, and wife Phyllis, 94, have seen 16 prime ministers take office since they married.<br /><br />They met in the 1930s and married at a register office on August 10, 1940, when she was just 17.<br /><br />Phyllis revealed the secret of her long marriage to George was a "good meal and a chat".<br /><br />"Couples are not the same these days. If people loved each other like we do, it would be a better world. My mother gave me these guidelines 75 years ago and we have kept to them," Phyllis was quoted as saying by the Walsall Advertiser.<br /><br />"When shopping and you see something, look in your purse and if you can afford it and need it, ok. If not then shut your purse," she said.<br /><br />"Always keep your husband well fed. We always have a good hot meal every night and a chat...We've done that every night of our marriage and it's kept us strong," Phyllis said.<br /><br />They first started dating before World War-II, when Phyllis was a trainee nurse at Birmingham Children's Hospital.<br /><br />In the 76 years since, George has worked as a fireman, a pit worker and a metal labourer until he retired in 1981 at the age of 64.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Phyllis became a bus conductor, before working as a councillor for Chadsmoor on Cannock Urban District Council in the 1950s.<br /><br />She then moved on to become a judicial official in 1963 and was a magistrate for 30 years before retiring at the age of 70.<br /><br />Despite reaching such high office, Phyllis has always seen feeding her loving husband as her main priority.<br /><br />"I was a housewife. I have always cooked. We don't have any convenience food in this house. It's all done by me," Phyllis said.<br /><br />"When the pension comes in we have always sat either side of the table and worked out what we can spend. We have never owned a house, owned a car, never drank of smoked, because we have always had what we can afford. But we have never owned a penny," she said.<br /><br />"I have always said as long as there is good food on the table that's all that matters. The way to a man's heart is through the stomach," she added.<br /><br /></p>