Jenette and Walter Petitt, 82, and 86, of Willoughby Drive, were joined by family and friends, including MP for Louth and Horncastle Sir Peter Tapsell and his wife Gabrielle, to mark the anniversary.

Mrs Petitt was born in Ruthervlen, Scotland, and met Mr Petitt, from Wetherby, Yorkshire, on a family holiday at the Isle of Man in 1947.

The couple married in June 1949 in Ruthervlen and Mr Petitt worked in customs and excise before spending 30 years in the whisky industry.

Mr Petitt has been a long serving member of Rotary International and had 48 years of 100 per cent attendance.

Mrs Petitt joined the Inner Wheel, for ladies who are related to Rotarians, and was British president in 1977/78 and international president in 1981/82, touring clubs around America and South Africa.

When they moved to Spilsby 22 years ago, Mrs Petitt formed the Spilsby Inner Wheel group.

The couple have two sons and one grandchild and Mrs Petitt said the secret to a long marriage is not to tell your partner what you are doing.

"I never tell him half of the things I do before I do them and it works beautifully," she added.

Mr Petitt added: "The two of us haven't had much to worry about over the 60 years."