A COUPLE celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary by taking the plunge and flying abroad for the first time.

Derrick and Maureen Bird, residents of Jamaica Road for 35 years, jetted off to Corfu with their grown-up granddaughter and her family last week. They described flying as a "strange" experience.

Maureen was born in Hanley Swan and brought up in Pershore and Welland, while Derrick was born in Madresfield.

They met in Malvern at a friend's Christmas party in 1955, when Maureen was a carer at Court House nursing home. They married just over 18 months later on June 22, 1957.

Derrick did his National Service in the Army catering corp before becoming a truck driver and then making a career out his hobby, gardening.

He said: "We get on well enough. We wouldn't change a thing, although one of our sons has named us Hinge and Bracket because we wind each other up so much."

They have six children, 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, who laid on surprises for their return.

Mrs Bird said: "You could not see the ceiling for golden balloons."