PETER and Rayna Hylands fell in love following a friendly skittles match in Chippenham back in 1952 and the couple will be celebrating their sapphire wedding anniversary on Wednesday.

The 90-year-old Westinghouse electrician knew Rayna was the one when he spotted her playing the piano at the skittles evening at the Royal British Legion club that evening and despite being initially brushed off, the couple have spent 65 years happily together.

"I was in the Royal Marine Association and Rayna was a telephonist at the Chippenham Telephone Exchange and between us we raised a skittle match at the British Legion Club," Mr Hylands said. "Rayna was playing the piano that night and I thought, that'll do me! Except when I asked her out, she told me to go with someone else but we got there in the end. We had only been courting for 18 months before we got married at Hardenhuish Church."

The couple, who had their reception in the Bear and the honeymoon in Torquay, spent Bank Holiday Monday celebrating their special day with their four children, eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

"It is all about patience and understanding," Mrs Hylands added. "Our whole lives revolve around our children and we are lucky to have such a lovely family that we can sit back and enjoy and we are very fortunate to still have each other."