Two committed stargazers who have volunteered at Hampstead Observatory for a combined 104 years have been recognised for their efforts.

Husband and wife Doug and Julia Daniels – who first met at the observatory in the 1960s – were handed Sky at Night Magazine’s Award for Achievement in Amateur Astronomy by comedian Jon Culshaw on Sunday.

Mr Daniels, 73, said they were “flabbergasted” after being surprised with the award at the observatory’s annual summer picnic. “I had no wind of it whatsoever. And with the heat of the day, it was really quite overwhelming!”

The couple are members of Hampstead Scientific Society. Mr Daniels serves as secretary, while his wife, 76, is treasurer. But the pair have no plans to quit working at the observatory. Mr Daniels joked: “There’s a tradition in Hampstead that society presidents tend to work until they drop.”