AN Ilkley couple who were married in the year that Adolf Hitler came to power have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

Jack Ellis Scott and his wife, Molly, reached the rare landmark of a Platinum Anniversary by enjoying a party with close family.

They were married at a small church in Manningham, Bradford, in the midst of the Depression - on January 2, 1933.

This was also the year in which the original King Kong movie was first released. Last week, as they welcomed the beginning of 2003 together in their home in Lister's Court, Ilkley, the pair received a telegram from the Queen congratulating them on their achievement.

It all began when the couple met on the steps of a Bradford department store after the bride-to-be's mother remarked: "There's a nice clean-cut lad for you."

Since then they have had spells running the family wholesale fruit and vegetable business, Henry Scott and Sons, in the markets of Bradford and Leeds, and of managing their own farm in Kent.

The couple originally came to Ilkley in the 1970s but then moved to Spain where they ran a fruit exporting business for nearly a decade.

After returning to Britain they lived in Harden for a while before returning to Ilkley around ten years ago. Speaking after their anniversary party last Thursday, Mr Scott said: "It was hard going then and we were on very, very low wages. I had £20 a week when I started which was actually a good wage for the time.

"I can't remember how much the wedding cost but it didn't cost much - we had it in the chapel of a church up near Manningham Mills.

"I think that we've both been mo