FAR from regretting the decision they made 60 years ago Diamond Wedding couple Jillian and Gerald Tuck celebrated the milestone with new wedding rings - both inscribed inside with 'I love you'.

It's something Gerald tells his wife every time he sees her.

They also celebrated with a party for friends and family at Sidney Gale House in Bridport where Gerald is staying while Jillian recovers from a broken hip.

Sidney Gale cook Jade Young made the cake complete with the same yellow roses Jillian carried in her wedding bouquet.

They were married in Cerne Abbas on March 30, 1957 and held their reception in the village hall where the presents were displayed on the stage.

Jillian said: "A little boy by the door said 'what time's the jumble sale because I want to go back and tell my mum'.

The couple moved to Bridport 54 years ago and their love affair with it, especially West Bay is still going strong.

They both belonged to a gang when they met - not exactly hells angels but a gang of 15 or so motorcyclists who roamed the area in the 50s going to dances.

They also used to enjoy going to scrambles and the 17-year-old Jillian was happy to ride pillion on the back of Gerald's 350 AJS.

Their friendship grew - helped by Gerald's sweet tooth.

Jillian said: "I worked in Dorchester at the Chocolate Box and Gerald used the excuse of his sweet tooth to come in to see me."

It was on the coach on the way back from the motorshow in Birmingham that Gerald popped the question.

They needed to save up to get married and they wanted to save the cost of getting from her home in Cerne Abbas to work in Dorchester so Jillian found work in her village at Burts Farm.

"I earned £5 a week there which was a lot more than I had been. I had to do everything, cleaned his car, looked after 80 pigs, the chickens, his daughter's pony. I knew nothing when I started but I soon got to know. It was hard work but I knew it wasn't going to be forever."

It wasn't forever but it was for 18 months before she found a job at Allingham's toy shop in Bridport, and lived in the flat above the shop. She worked there for six years before the couple's son Nick was born.

Jillian's mother hadn't wanted her to get married until she was 21 but relented a few months before - so the couple could get a £25 tax rebate.

Gerald always had an interest in cars and after leaving school at 14 was apprenticed to Tilleys in Dorchester. He couldn't sign his indentures until he was 15 so was sent around town on the works bicycle delivering bills.

He then did his national service in Germany with the REME, the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers. On his return he worked in the garage in his village in Frampton before finding work with Maurice Follett of Stevenson's garage in East Street. Mr Follett said Gerald would work for two weeks. He stayed 29 years.

After the garage closed he worked at Bonfield's for ten years until he retired.

When Nick was five Jillian went to work for Hodges cake shop in East Street and was there 20 years until she had to leave to look after her handicapped twin brother. She did that for 15 years before having to deal with her own health when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.