Donations to Ledbury Swifts Football Club instead of presents have been requested by Don and Jean Rule, who celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary today (Friday).

Wing Commander Rule MBE, as well as being Herefordshire councillor for Marcle Ridge, is also the president of the youth soccer side.

The couple, of Woodfield Road, plan to travel out with the young players this summer, when the team play in the Roberts Cup tournament in Ledbury's twin town of Stromstad.

Mr and Mrs Rule were married in Abu Sueir, Egypt, on February 21, 1953, when both were serving with the RAF in the Suez Canal zone. Coun Rule was 24 and Jean was 21.

Their honeymoon was in Cyprus and in the following years, as Mr Rule rose steadily in rank, the couple lived in a number of foreign locations including Berlin.

To Mrs Rule's delight, because of her husband's Wing Commander status, the couple could pass through Checkpoint Charlie into the Russian sector and enjoy nights at the opera.

In 1977, Coun Rule was presented with the MBE at Buckingham Palace by Prince Charles, while the Queen was in Australia during her Silver Jubilee Year.

The honour was given for the work Coun Rule had undertaken to ensure better social protection for at-risk forces children, and also for his management of a Hercules transport fleet at RAF Lyneham.

Coun Rule said: "We've had led a gipsy life, living in about 20 houses until we came to Ledbury in 1983."

Mrs Rule said: "We have the same tastes, including travelling; we are friends, and we both like children."

The couple have three sons, Douglas, Fergus and Alistair, and five grandchildren.

Until recently Mrs Rule helped pupils with reading at Ledbury Primary School and had also been a classroom assistant in Berlin.

Coun Rule is a trustee of Ledbury Youth First and Urchins and he is the county's spokesman for education. He is also a former Ledbury mayor and chairman of Malvern Hills District Council.

He has just accepted the presidency of the new Ledbury English Festival and is the new chairman of Herefordshire committee of the Royal British Legion.