IT’S a double golden wedding celebration for two sets of Weymouth friends who married on the same day.

Daphne and Harold Crump got married at Holy Trinity Church on Weymouth Harbour side just hours before friends Kenneth and Margaret Webb on September 9, 1961.

Both couples were involved in the church and the Webbs still attend Holy Trinity while the Crumps attend sister church St Nicholas.

Mr and Mrs Crump, of Clearmount Road, met through friends when Mrs Crump was asked to dance in a concert party.

The couple have always been involved in the arts with Mrs Crump, 71, running Weymouth School of Ballet and Theatre Arts and Mr Crump, 79, working as a ventriloquist and children’s entertainer and organising and producing musicals at Weymouth Pavilion.

He also organised musical shows for Weymouth’s veteran’s celebrations and helped put on Royal shows.

Mrs Crump said: “Harold and I got married in the church within hours of Margaret and Kenneth. It’s incredible.

“We see each other quite a bit through various church activities.”

She added that their shared love of the arts as well as understanding was the key to their long and happy marriage.

Mrs Crump said: “Our big love is the theatre. We are both into the same things and we have understanding of each other and patience.”

The couple often go to see the ballet together and for their anniversary they are going to the theatres in London. They will also be having a family party.

Margaret and Kenneth Webb met when they were both in the Young Conservatives Group.

Mrs Webb, 73, worked as a secretary and now does dress making and Mr Webb, 79, ran Hair Dressing for Men on Lennox Street, Weymouth for forty years.

Mrs Webb said: “It’s nice to be able to celebrate as it’s unusual to have two couples married in the same church on the same day.”

The couple love travelling and put their long marriage down to enjoying time together and give and take.

Mr Webb said: “We like to travel and go on cruises. We have gone from the Falkland Islands to Alaska and we have been to Australia several times.”

He added: “We really enjoy doing things together and after 50 years we have patience and tolerance and co-operation together.”

The couple will be going to the Lake District to celebrate their anniversary. They will be staying in the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon.