UK’s oldest couple, aged 102 and 103, married in Newbury
A husband and wife who married in Newbury are believed to be the oldest couple in the UK.
Dorothy and Tim Walter, aged 103 and 102, have been married for 81 years.
The pair – believed to be one of the oldest couples in the UK – began their union in Newbury.
The couple, both aged 18, met at Oakfield House in Wingham, near Canterbury.
They then married at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Newbury in 1942, both at 21 years old.
Their daughter, Sue Willis, told newburytoday: “My father came from Kent and my mother was born in Hampshire.
“They were based in Southampton making Spitfire parts for Supermarine.
“They then moved to Newbury, as that’s where my mother’s parents lived.”
As an apprentice, Mr Walter was often tasked with fixing the machines which Mrs Walter was using.
He recalled how he would ride his bike to meet her outside of working hours.
But they would often have to run for cover as the German bombers flew overhead.
After getting wed, they had their first daughter Carole in 1943 and their second Sue in 1947. Carole died in 1985.
Mrs Willis, who still has a cousin from her mother’s side in Newbury, added: “They stayed in Newbury until 1953 when they moved back down to Kent.
“I was really quite young, and my memories are moving from Newbury to Kent, where they had a fruit farm.”
After farming, the pair, now great-grandparents, retired to Wingham Green where they lived until the age of 101.
They moved into Oakfield House care home in Wingham, near Canterbury, in March last year.
When asked what advice they would give people hoping for a long and happy marriage, Mr Walter said: “You can’t point to one thing but providing you are content with life and your partner, you’ll be okay.”
Mrs Walter added: “We’re looked after very well here, and we take each day as it comes. You have to embrace it and we’re fortunate to be here.”
See the online database to see where the Walters – who have a combined age of 205 – rank on the UK’s list of oldest couples.
