Diamond wedding couple James and Betty Salmon will enjoy a convivial meal with family and friends at the Farmer's Arms in Wellington Heath this weekend.

The couple, from Robinson's Meadow in Ledbury, were married at Holy Trinity Church in Barnes, London, on November 20, 1943.

The newly-weds caught a taxi from Barnes to their new flat at Shepherd's Bush. But an air raid stopped them on Hammersmith Bridge and they made their way on foot to their new home, almost two miles away, with a heavy case to carry.

The couple, who shared a love of cycling and met on Barnes Common in 1941, both carried out "fire watching" duties in the London Blitz. Mr Salmon was also in the Home Guard.

Mr Salmon's career was in prosthetics and it was his job that brought the couple to the Midlands, when the Welfare State expanded in 1952. A prosthetics clinic was set up at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

Mr Salmon, 83, became a prosthetics consultant in 1975 and also worked in Oman, helping war victims there.

Mrs Salmon, 81, worked as an auxiliary nurse at New Cross. The couple have three children, Diane, Susan and Christopher, six grandchildren and two grandchildren.

They retired to Ledbury in 1985, describing it as "a lovely little town".

Mr Salmon is active in organising the fundraising newspaper collections for the Ledbury and District Society Trust. Mrs Salmon is a keen member of the WI.