Jim and Joyce Baker celebrate their 70th Wedding Anniversary on June 26th this year. They met while attending Hentland School in their early teenage years. After a school time friendship they were married in 1943 at Hoarwithy Church where Joyce sang in the choir for many years. They have lived in Herefordshire – no more than ten miles from Much Birch, throughout their lives. Jim and Joyce both served in the Second World War, Jim in the Army, serving in Britain, Belgium and France and Joyce working in the ATS as a clerk. When Jim was demobbed in 1946 they moved to "Lough Dee" in Pencoyd where Jim worked for the Davis's at Treberron Farm for eight years.

During this time Joyce gave birth to five children – as she says in very quick succession – at times there is no more than 12 months between all their ages. And Jim remembers well the winter and snow of 1947 digging out to fetch water and provisions for the family on what seemed a daily ritual.

For the full story please see this week's Ross Gazette.