A PETER TAVY couple celebrated their golden wedding day to the sound of a live jazz band recently.

Gerald and Irene Williamson, owners of Harford Bridge Holiday Park, hosted a splendid party at the Two Bridges Hotel near Princetown for 62 of their family and friends, who were entertained during the afternoon by the Karen Taylor Jazz Band.

The couple, who were brought up in London, first met on holiday in Skegness and got married at Hackney Town Hall on May 8, 1954.

Gerald worked with his father, chauffeur driving limousines ? one of his more illustrious passengers being a Lord dressed in full ermine at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The couple brought up their three daughters and two boys at Abingdon in Oxfordshire, but ultimately they sold their successful transport business and moved down to Peter Tavy on February 1, 1985, to what Gerald described as ?a great big piece of heaven?.

?Every day I wake up and think how lucky I am ? we have the most wonderful life down here ? I wish we?d done it 20 years before!? said Gerald.

Gerald and Irene, who now have eleven grandchildren, followed up their celebration party with a ?fantastic? five-day jazz holiday in the Lake District.

?It was wonderful, we went touring around during the daytime and had the jazz concerts in the evening,? said Gerald.

?I made up my mind it was going to be a very special holiday, we planned it very carefully and it was even better than I had hoped,? he said.