CUTH Bradley was so keen to see the girl he met in a cinema queue again that he handed her his army paybook.

It certainly paid off because Cuth and “the love of his life,” May, have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

A total of 104 family and friends gathered to celebrate the couple’s milestone at Bells Hotel in Coleford on Sunday, April 16, where £600 was raised for the Dilke Hospital in Cinderford.

Cuthbert was born on July 13, 1924 at Ruardean and his future wife on January 13, 1926 at Tufthorn.

They met when Cuth, home on compassionate leave from the army after the death of his father, went into Coleford with a group of friends, Donald Evans, Fred Knight, Derek Skinner and Ches Gardiner.

May – whose maiden name was Batts – was in the queue with her friend Molly Pendrey and Cuth immediately approached her.

After the film, they arranged to meet at the cinema in Cinderford the following day but May wasn’t convinced he would turn up – so he gave her his paybook.

May, who worked at the pin factory in Whitecroft at the time, married Cuth on April 19 1947 at St John’s Church in Coleford.

She was taken to the church from her home at Sunnybank by local publican and taxi owner Arthur Baynham while Cuth had jumped on the bus with his family from Ruardean.

Cuth was a keen rugby player with Berry Hill and represented the Forest of Dean for two seasons.

In 1952 Cuth started driving lorries for Fred Watkins and later drove the dumper truck at Whitecliff Quarry near Coleford.

He later moved to be a weighbridge clerk at Whitecliff and then Stowe before retiring in 1987.

The couple moved to Mushet Place, where they still live, in 1958 and May worked part-time at Beechams until she retired in the 1970s.

They still have strong family connections and have two much-loved dogs, Trixie and Susie.