They say that fresh milk can strengthen bones and teeth, in the case of one couple, it also cemented a relationship.

Allan and Mary Doughty recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They met at the end of the Second World War.

"My brother had been in the army in England," said Mrs. Doughty from their home in Paget. "He came back to Bermuda. He was staying at the Old Comrades Club. Allan was also there.

"My mother wanted my brother to have fresh milk, because we had a dairy. So she asked me to take him some fresh milk. When I got there and asked for my brother, two of the fellas turned up and wanted to take me in. One was Allan.

"He took me to the kitchen. My brother was a cook for them. He was mashing potatoes with a coca-cola bottle. Allan just wanted to show off and take me in."

Mr. Doughty first met Mrs. Doughty's parents, and then went to church with them. The couple were engaged after knowing each other for three months, and were married after six months on September 19, 1946.

"There were long engagements in those days," she said, "but we felt we didn't need to wait. I was 22 years old and he was 24. Now, I am 82 years old and he is 84. My parents were very strict. There were nine girls in the family and two boys. They didn't allow us out too much."

To celebrate their anniversary, their friends Alice and John Carr recently donated 60 books in their honour to Dellwood Middle School.

"It was a gift to us as if we were donating," said Mrs. Doughty. "Wasn't that nice? Alice went away and picked out all the books. She brought them here for us to see. They were absolutely the best. She is very good with teaching children. She teaches children with learning challenges."

When you ask Mrs. Doughty if she and her husband like to read, she says, 'look around'.

"Inside, I have hundreds of books," she said. "I told him not to get anymore because I don't know where to put them. I used to read novels, but I gave that up. I don't have time."

Mr. Doughty does a lot of studying of religious books, and spent three years in a bible college.

"I am with the Brethren and we don't have ministers as such," said Mr. Doughty. "We have elders. I am with the Paget Gospel Chapel."

Unfortunately, the Doughtys couldn't hand the books over to the school themselves, because of Mr. Doughty's poor health. He had liver cancer two years ago.

"We are very fortunate that he is alive," said Mrs. Doughty. "They got it in time, but he doesn't get out too much. He was at church Sunday morning."

The Doughtys have two sons, Allan, Jr. and Paul, four grandchildren, and two great granddaughters.

"We used to think we were too strict with our children, but they said no, we weren't," Mrs. Doughty said. "I think they are trying to bring up their children well."

Mr. Doughty said the secret to a happy marriage is putting God first.

Mrs. Doughty said communication and doing things together is also important.

"It is important that both of us agree on what we want to do," she said. "We used to sail together. We had a yacht, Asteroid. I went across the deep blue sea, scared to death. It was a wonderful experience. We both didn't start until we were in our 50s, because we couldn't afford a yacht before that."

Mr. Doughty did the Newport to Bermuda race and the Marion to Bermuda race, and Mrs. Doughty went with him twice.

"It was memorable," she said. "It was good that I was able to go, because I wouldn't have wanted him to go on his own. I was thinking I would never go, but then I started to think, if anything happens, it will happen to us together. So that gave me the courage to go."

Eventually, the Doughtys had to sell their yacht, but their son gave them a replica of it.

Mr. Doughty was general manager of the MarketPlace and worked for the Piggly Wiggly and the MarketPlace for 45 years. Mrs. Doughty worked for Pearman Watlington for 39 and a half years.

"In the meantime we ran a bible bookroom for a few years," she said. "We had our hands full."

This Valentine's Day, the Doughtys said being together will be enough.

"We are at a stage now where we don't make too much fuss about Valentine's Day," Mrs. Doughty said. "We get each other cards. In the days when he was working he use to get me lovely gifts. Now we just get what we need and we are quite happy with that."