A COUPLE born and bred in Princetown celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last week surrounded by family and friends — and even received a special gift from the Prince of Wales.

Evelyn, who will turn 80 this November, and Les Cribbett, 83, enjoyed their celebration at the Terrace Restaurant in Tavistock on April 3 — 60 years after they said 'I Do' at the old registry office located where the restaurant now stands.

After the wedding in 1954 the party headed to a reception at Bowden's Café in Princetown.

It was in the village where they set up their marital home and had four children — John, Ian, Andrew and Heather.

For 48 years Les, a Royal Victoria Medal recipient, worked on the Duchy Estate and as a thank you for his dedicated service and to commemorate the couple's anniversary, the Prince of Wales sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a card — a lovely surprise for the couple.

As well as working on the Duchy, Les was a firefighter for Princetown Fire Station for 25 years.

'The bell for the fire calls was in the house and that used to wake us up,' their son John recalls.

Evelyn was a hard worker and undertook all the housework duties at the Plume of Feathers in Princetown for 15 shillings a week — the equivalent of 75p.

Last year the couple moved to Tavistock, near to where they got married in 1954.