A Hadleigh musician has helped acting legend Dame Joan Collins and husband Percy Gibson to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary at a top London hotel.

Hadleigh Jazz Club star George Double played drums at Claridges as the star in American TV soap Dynasty and Hollywood movies, including the Flintstones, enjoyed a star studded party.

British Hollywood star Joan now aged 88, celebrated the anniversary with fifth husband Percy, aged 57, last Thursday.

George got a call from good friend and bandleader Joe Pettitt, to play drums for a private function at Claridge's, in Mayfair but only learned later, it was to be Joan's wedding anniversary party.

The band was very much like The Palm Court Orchestra, with three violins, trumpet, clarinet and saxophone (doubling) and trombone in addition to piano, bass and drums with a singer featuring on some items.

"It was a great sound," said George. "We played a big stack of music from the prolific and rather forgotten British arranger Jimmy Lally, who died in 1974. Very suited to the interior of Claridge's.

"There was also a specially commissioned dance number at the end of the performance where we backed a troupe of nine dancers in a choreographed medley of music specially selected for the evening."

Among the celebrities present were Simon Cowell, Liz Hurley, Sarah Ferguson, Simon Le Bon and Paul O'Grady.

George said: "The room was full of celebrity guests, too many to count actually, all of whom looked wonderful of course and seemed to have a great time in what was a genuinely warm and celebratory atmosphere with lots of fun and laughter. It was a lovely evening."

Joan Tweeted: "20 years ago today #ahubby and I tied the knot and have been happily married ever since #20thanniversary #togetherness #happymarriage #separatebathrooms."

The couple met during a theatre production and became close friends before Joan took the plunge for a fifth time.

Read Robert Carr's latest Hadleigh Jazz Club review, featuring Matt Ford.