With a combined age of 205, meet Britain's oldest married couple

Ralph clocked up his century five years ago giving the pair, who have been married for 75 years, a combined age of 205. And there's no sign of them slowing down.

They still live in their own home, Phyllis does her own cooking and cleaning and Ralph takes charge of the shopping.

She puts their long lives and long-lasting relationship down to ‘getting on with each other, a good diet, exercise, avoiding cigarettes and a tot of whisky each night’.

No stopping them: Britain's oldest married couple, Ralph Tarrant, aged 105, and his 100-year-old wife, Phyllis, put their longevity down to 'getting on with each other, a good diet, exercise, avoiding cigarettes and a tot of whisky each night'

Phyllis was born in Sheffield in 1908 and worked as chief typist at a local steelworks. Ralph, originally from Nottingham, moved to the city with his family when he was seven.

The couple first met when Phyllis was 14 and four years later their romance began.

The couple, who were married on July 8 1933, have two daughters Brenda, 71, and Christine, 61, as well as seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Phyllis, a talented pianist, loves opera and attends Church every Sunday where she is also an active member of the luncheon club and is a life-long Sheffield Wednesday supporter.

The pair have a growing collection of telegrams from the Queen to congratulate them on their their landmark birthdays and diamond wedding anniversary.

The sprightly pair, pictured on their wedding day in 1933, have now been married for 75 years

Ralph left school aged 13 and started work as an office boy at a local engineering firm before joining an insurance company where he remained until he retired in 1968, and during the war years he served in the RAF as a corporal in 201 Coastal Command.

Phyllis, who has a tot of whisky each night before going to bed to help her sleep said: ‘I suppose now I'm 100 I should be counted as being old. But I don't feel it, and I've some way to go to catch Ralph up. I'm just so pleased to have retained my health, and my marbles.

‘I am fortunate that I can still do my own housework and cooking and Ralph helps out by going to the supermarket to do the shopping.

Her husband added: ‘My ambition was to beat my grandmother who lived to be 103 so I'm well past that now.

‘Quite a few of my family had very long lives so maybe it's all in the genes, it's just that we have been able to stay reasonably fit and healthy for our ages and still be together in our own home.

‘Some people are not that lucky. We don't like to sit around all the time, we both like to get out and about.’

The couple will be joined by family and friends for a party to celebrate their 75th anniversary and Phyllis' birthday at a hotel in the city later this month.