Ref. 30040-30A WARTIME dance at the Mechanics Institute sent Cupid's arrows flying between soldier Ron Warne from London and a pretty Swindon girl Gertrude Jenner, Trudy for short.

From then on they glided over the floor together every time Ron had permission to leave camp.

And today they celebrate the 60th anniversary of their wedding at St Mark's Church in the Railway Village.

"Trudy was a really good dancer," said 84-year-old Ron, who was stationed at an Army base at Wootton Bassett and later at Lambourn. "We went dancing whenever we could at the Mechanics, the Locarno and McIlroys."

After he was demobbed in 1946 the couple, who have no children, lived in London, where Ron was employed as a messenger by a national newspaper.

They moved to Swindon nearly 20 years ago and for some time he did casual work for the Evening Advertiser. He and Trudy, 83, now live in Clifton Street.

Trudy's sister Jenna, who now lives in Australia, and Ron's sister Marion, who were both bridesmaids at their wedding, are expected to be among 70 relatives and friends who will help them celebrate at a party in a Rodbourne community hall on Saturday.