A devoted couple who got engaged within two weeks of meeting each other and say they have never had a single argument are celebrating 70 years of wedded bliss.
Megan, 92, and Denis Bollington, 93, tied the knot within just three months of knowing each other and exchanged 129 love letters as a young couple.
The pair first met in London after Denis was set up with her by an RAF pal who was married to Megan’s sister.
Megan, who was 21 at the time, and Denis, aged 22, were living with Denis’s parents in London, as they had nowhere to go during the war.
Megan, who lived in Wales, had come to see her sister Betty in London over Easter, and stayed with Denis’s family – where it was love at first site.
Megan and Denis were living with Denis’s parents in London, as they had nowhere to go during the war.
When the couple had to separate because Denis had to go away to work he sent the first note for Megan which asked her to marry him.
The pair then started writing to each other until they met again on Whitsun weekend at the end of May in 1948.
This is when Denis was able propose in person,
Denis said: “We were mutually attracted to each other, it just came naturally.
“We just loved each other, it’s difficult to explain but we wrote about 50 letters to each other, and we still have them.”
Megan who was in the Women’s Land Army during the Second World War, added: “There was just something there, I don’t know what it was but I wouldn’t want my life to be any different.
“When I first met Denis it was at Easter. On the Easter Monday he had to go back to Southampton where he was based, but I didn’t have to go back to Wales until the Wednesday.
“When I got home there was a letter from Denis and he proposed in that.
“It took a while for me to say yes as I didn’t see him again until the end of June.”
After the engagement Denis spent two weeks meeting Megan’s family in Wales – they then wedded on 31 July 1948.
Megan and Denis then lived in London until 1968.
Megan said: “When we were first married I didn’t have a job.
“My first job was in London for a company that cleaned phones, it taught me how to get around London.”
On leaving the RAF, Denis worked for Ordnance Survey, having trained as a land surveyor.
Ordnance Survey – is a national mapping agency in the United Kingdom which covers the island of Great Britain and is one of the world’s largest producers of maps.
Whenever Denis would travel for work, he would take his letters with him and Megan kept the notes at home with her.
Since they have been married they have kept their letters together in date order in a tin wrapped in a bow.
Megan and Denis left London in 1968 and moved to Braintree, Essex for a while, before moving to Colchester, Essex in 1987.
The couple have four children – Brian, 68, Denise, 66, Paul, 60 and Lynn, 57.
They said there was a six-year gap between Denise and Paul as Denis had been ill with TB, and was recovering for two years.
Denis said the key to their happiness was real love. He said: “A lot of people get confused between real love and sex.
“In our case it was real love. Life has revolved around family and we have been very happy.”
They claim to have never had any arguments throughout their seven decade marriage.
The couple collectively give their top tips for keeping a strong relationship, they add: “Have real love, stick together when things are difficult.
“Help each other through the difficult times – being tolerant with each other.”
Their daughter, Denise adds: “They have always supported all of us children. We could talk to both of them about really private things, it has always been very family orientated.
“It’s very enduring and lasted all the way through.
“They both came from loving families and took that forward in their own lives with their own children.
“Dad’s favourite letter was when my mum said ‘yes’ to his proposal of marriage which wasn’t the first letter in response to his proposal.
“Mum’s favourite was the first letter when my dad asked her to marry him.”
