Farming couple Phillip and Ann Potter celebrated their golden wedding anniversary by returning to the hotel where they had their wedding reception.

It was held at The Bell House Hotel in Sutton Benger and 50 years on Mr Potter, known as Duke, said they couldn’t think of a better place to commemorate tying the knot.

He said: “We had our 40th anniversary at the same place.

“When my daughter asked where we should go this year we said why don’t we go back to The Bell.”

Mr Potter, 71, is kept busy with his two farms, one in Dauntsey and one in Lyneham.

He and his wife had recently come across the receipt for their original wedding reception.

He said: “On the bill were a 100 cigarettes which were given out to guests.

“Nowadays if we’d done that people wouldn’t have been allowed inside the place.”

The couple, who have lived their entire lives in Dauntsey, met at school.

Mr Potter said: “We used to catch the steam train from Dauntsey Station to Bath every day for school.

“She lived at Dauntsey Lock and I used to go up to her father’s farm and bail hay.

“There must have been some attraction there because she would come out on a pony and bring me a drink.”

Mrs Potter, 72, was kept busy bringing up their three children, Yvonne and Fredrick who live in North Wiltshire, and Diane who has moved to Surrey.

The couple now also have four grandchildren.

Mr Potter added that the secret to a happy marriage was give and take. He said: “Don’t let any argument go on too long.”