A COUPLE from Trowbridge are pulling out all the stops for their diamond wedding celebrations by taking the whole family on a cruise of the Western Mediterranean.

John and Pauline Alford, both 81, first got talking in the Lamb Inn, Trowbridge, when they were both just 17 years old and with their parents.

They went to the pictures on their first date and got married at Holy Trinity Church in Trowbridge four years later, on August 17, 1957 in front of their friends and family

The couple's first home was a shared flat in Lambrok Road, Trowbridge.

They had three children, Michael, Debra and Martin and they now have 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

The couple now live in Cavendish Drive, Trowbridge.

Mr Alford said: "They key to a long and successful marriage is happiness.

"You have to be happy with each other for it to last any time at all.

"And you also must be prepared to give and take, you can't expect everything and give nothing back."

Mr and Mrs Alford have been celebrating their special day cruising round the Western Mediterranean with their family, a holiday they say they will never forget.