A GOLDEN couple raised £650 for a hospice on the 50th anniversary of their wedding.

Sheila and Derick Fielding told friends and family that they did not want presents and asked for donations to be made to Joseph Weld Hospice - where their daughter Geraldine Stevens died from ovarian cancer five years earlier.

Sheila Fielding, 68, whose brother Edward Aplin also died at the hospice in 1997, said: "When you get to our age you really don't want any presents."

Mrs Fielding added: "They were brilliant - they put themselves out for every patient. They are so understanding, they really helped us through it."

While Geraldine, 44, was fighting the disease, another daughter, Caroline Pitcher, had been diagnosed with cancer, but had recovered. "It was a very worrying time for us all," said Mrs Fielding.

The couple, who live in Cowley Close, Dorchester, have organised car boot sales to raise money for the hospice each year. Sheila added: "I just wanted to give a little back."

More than 75 friends and family celebrated the couple's 50th anniversary at a party held at Dorchester Football Club which included a performance from a barber shop quartet and a disco.

The couple met in 1943 in Dorchester, Mrs Fielding's birthplace, after Mr Fielding's family moved down from Yorkshire.

Mrs Fielding said she was very grateful for the support and generosity of her family and friends and added: "They have always been there for us.

"We have never regretted one minute of marriage," she said. "You have your ups and downs, but you stick together because you trust each other. Young couples today don't work at it, they give up too quickly. We always talk everything through."

Derick Fielding, 75, worked as a plasterer and became a painter and decorator before he was forced to give up work due to failing eyesight.

Mrs Fielding retired after working in the Horse with the Red Umbrella sandwich and cake shop in Dorchester for 15 years.

She also worked as a manager at Wilkins and at Godwin's China Store.