74 years of marriage: '˜My girl is marvellous'

But when the centenarian was asked how he reached the two milestones with a big smile on his face he had just one sentence: “Rochelle is my girl and she is marvellous.”

The couple met in 1938, when it was Rochelle’s first day of work in an Italian bank in London.

She was sitting at her desk in the ledger department when in walked Victor, who worked upstairs in the foreign exchange. Their eyes met and it was love at first sight.

They were married on January 17, 1942, at Willesden Green Registry Office, and went on to have two daughters, Linda born in 1947 and Delia in 1952.

They now have four grand children and three great-grandchildren.

In 1956 Victor and Rochelle moved with their children to Hemel Hempstead. Victor managed a shop in The Marlowes, Vanity Fair, a Ladies Gowns outfitters.

The couple moved to independent living accommodation at Maitland Joseph House in 1999 and have lived there happily ever since.

Rochelle said: “The success to a long and happy marriage is easy if you love one another and are compatible.

“I have wonderful memories of great happiness, the joy of our children, love and laughter together, great holidays and good health, although health has been more difficult of late.”