Organsers of a Voices for Hospices concert in Melksham achieved their golden quest by finding five other 50th anniversary couples to help them celebrate.

Jim and Judy Speed, of Forest Road, appealed in the Wiltshire Times for fellow golden couples join them at an Assembly Halls concert.

Mr Speed, 71, said: “People generally contacted us by email. We had more than five couples contact us, but one or two decided they didn’t want to make a fuss.

The couples – including Bratton’s Alex and Sheila Carruthers, Graham and Ivy Mattock of Melksham, Bromham’s Graham and Jo Partt and Martin and Kathryn Caunter of Derry Hill – were presented with free tickets for the concert.

They also had a special song dedicated to them.

The 1963 theme evening, part of the worldwide Voices for Hospices 2013 event, was organised by Wiltshire Lodge of Agriculture and pulled in a 250-strong audience, raising £2,000 for the Dorothy House hospice.

Mr Speed said: “We had a lot of fun and the audience certainly enjoyed it. “We have had lovely letters, emails and cards from people saying they had a great time.

“It was a very fitting theme. If you look back at 1963, apart from the six of us getting married, there were lots of things happening.”

This is the fourth concert the couple have organised, raising £12,000 so far for Dorothy House. The Speeds chose the Winsley hospice because it is local and was Mr Speed’s chosen charity of the year in 2004, while he was chairman of the Wiltshire Lodge of Agriculture.

The grandparents celebrated their anniversary in September, with two parties; one for their family and one for friends, which raised £800 towards the £2,000 total.

Mr Speed said: “We have reached a stage in life where we don’t need any presents – we have all we want – so we asked our family and friends for donations instead.”