Balmoral couple Ivan and Beth Hodge are celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary by throwing a party for the entire suburb

YOU don’t even need to know the Hodges to attend their lavish anniversary party, which includes a brass band, marching girls and free ice creams for all.

BALMORAL couple Ivan and Beth Hodge are once again shouting the Mosman community a free party to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

“It is a community day — no speeches, no fundraising, no politics and no payment,’’ Mr Hodge said.

This year the Hodges will be celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary with the event to be held on November 1 at the Balmoral Rotunda.

Beth and Ivan Hodge are preparing for their annual wedding anniversary party at Balmoral. Picture: Linley Mudge

The day will feature the usual attractions — the NSW Fire and Rescue Band, the Precision Marching girls, a Mosman fire truck and a police car.

There will also be free ice-creams and a sausage sizzle too.

Noticeably absent this year from the event will be the couple’s “Love Bug”, the VW Beetle in which they spent their honeymoon in 1961 driving from London to Mumbai.

Beth and Ivan Hodge on their wedding day in 1959.

The Hodges shipped the car back overseas in 1996 and repeated the journey.

The car has taken pride of place every year for the last 10 years when the anniversary bash has been staged at Balmoral.

Ivan and Beth Hodge on one of their adventures in their 1961 Volkswagen Beetle.

However, it was transported to New Zealand earlier this year for permanent display in the MOTAT transport museum in Auckland.

The Hodges have visited the car recently and it has been re-registered for a proposed road trip around New Zealand by the couple in February.

The couple invites all of Balmoral to their annual bash.

Meanwhile, they are preparing for their anniversary party which begins about 11am.

Everyone is welcome to bring a picnic rug or chairs and enjoy the day.

Beth and Ivan at the Balmoral Rotunda for their 55th wedding anniversary last year.