A royal dignitary may officiate at a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Tamar Bridge.

Speaking at a meeting of the Tamar Bridge Torpoint Ferry joint committee general manager David List outlined possible celebrations for the 50th anniversary, on October 24, 2011, at which he hoped a royal dignitary would officiate.

Other ideas include illuminating the bridge and getting local schools and organisations involved with the celebrations, and a firework display, similar to the one organised by the Ashtorre Brunel Bridge 150th Anniversary Celebrations Committee in 2009.

Other ideas will be considered and published at a later date.

The bridge opened the day after the Saltash ferry ceased to function and Ashtorre are already planning to celebrate the Saltash ferry's voyages, said to have existed for 600 years.

In the pouring rain hundreds of people walked over the new bridge at 6.30am on October 24th 50 years ago, and then on April 26th 1962, the Queen Mother officially opened the bridge by cutting a tape in the middle watched by thousands of people on both sides of the bridge.