Grandmother Mair Leake paid a special tribute to her late husband to mark the date that would have been their golden wedding anniversary.

Mrs Leake, 82, of Brakespear Drive, Corsham, dressed in her wedding gown and had her hair and make-up specially done for a photograph she can cherish.

The anniversary was especially poignant as her husband Alan’s funeral three years ago was on the same day as their anniversary.

She said: “Alan proved to be a wonderful husband, friend, lover, my everything. I wanted to have the picture taken as a bit of a unique request, and they did a marvellous job.”

The picture was taken by professional photographer Jo Hidderley of Trowbridge.

Liz Parkins, from Derry Hill, who has been a make-up artist for four years, did Mrs Leake’s make-up for the picture.

She said: “Mrs Leake is a hugely intelligent and charming lady, and it was such a pleasure to be involved in this unique request.”

Mrs Leake said: “Liz is a magician, and I was so pleased with the photograph.

“I had loaned out my wedding dress for pantomimes and things like that, and it had been rolled up in a pillow-case to store it for an awfully long time. I had to have it all taken in and pressed, but when I put it on, it still felt the same to me.”

Mrs Leake met her “tall, blonde and incredibly handsome” husband on the tennis court in Chelmsford, Essex.

The couple had two sons, Gareth and David, and moved to Corsham following the birth of granddaughter Holly ten years ago.

Mrs Leake said of the photograher and make-up artist: “To find such kindness, concern and genuine interest in what they do for their clients, no matter how bizarre, is rare. It was a very special thing for me to be able to do.”

The grandmother recounted the couple’s first kiss after their first date watching Jean Simmons and Donald Houston in the 1949 film The Blue Lagoon.

“We were under a street lamp when I took his face and kissed him,” she said.

“He was a shy person for all his bravado on the court and had an instant ability to make me laugh.”