Former pub licencees Sidney and Georgina Alexander toasted their diamond wedding anniversary with 50 family and friends in their home village of Heddington, near Calne.

Mr and Mrs Alexander, of Church Road, met at a youth club when they were both teenagers and married in Bremhill on July 31, 1954.

The couple, who have two children and two great grandchildren, took over The Ivy pub in Heddington when they were in their 60s and ran the pub for about five years before retiring.

Mrs Alexander, 82, who is known by her friends as Bunty, and her husband, 85, both grew up in villages near Calne and have known each other for most of their lives. Mrs Alexander said: “We knew each other growing up but we probably met properly at the youth club.

“After we were married we moved to Sandy Lane. I worked as a typist and my husband was a fitter welder.

“I don’t really know what the answer is for how to stay together for such a long time. I think I need a medal and he probably feels the same way. But we are quite alike and both enjoy the same things such as gardening, puzzles and crosswords.”

The couple came to Heddington when they took over the village pub and now live opposite the village hall, which proved convenient on Saturday when they celebrated their 60 years of marriage in the hall with around 50 friends and family.

Mrs Alexander said: “We didn’t have dancing or a band as I wanted everyone to be able to chat without music making it difficult to hear what was being said. It was a really lovely evening and we were able to catch up with a lot of people we hadn’t seen for quite a while.”

The couple’s son and daughter and their grandchildren still live in the village. Mrs Alexander said: “It is good that we all live near each other but everyone is so busy we don’t see each other all the time. The grandchildren are grown up now so we are not called on for babysitting.”