Diamond wedding shows their parents were wrong
Two childhood sweethearts celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary this week.
John and Jean Hughes, who live in the same street in Sandling where they met as children, were married on July 7, 1956.
Despite their parents telling them they were too young to be in love, the couple have proved them wrong with their 60 years of marriage.
The pair met in Shrubsole Drive, and after moving away for a few years in their early marriage, returned to care for their parents.
“We have been very happy for all these years. We married at 19 and 20 and we have been very lucky,” Mrs Hughes said.
Their four-year-old great-granddaughter, Alicia, now keeps them busy, and is the apple of their eye.
Her grandma loves knitting for her and often donates items to local charity shops.
Knitting is a passion for the 79-year-old, who used to work in a Scotch Wool Shop in Week Street, Maidstone.
She left her job when she was married and spent her time raising their two children and looking after both her own and her husband’s parents.
The happy couple will be the first in their families to have reached this milestone and their daughter Julie is very thankful to have such wonderful parents.
She said: “They are great parents and we all love them loads and would like to thank them for what they have done and still do for us all.”
For anyone wanting to reach this stage in their own relationships, Mrs Hughes has one piece of advice: “Never go to bed on a fight. We never have, not that I remember us having many fights,” she said.
The family were due to go out for a celebratory lunch yesterday (Thursday) and plan to continue the festivities in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire with their 30-year-old grandson Darren. A former president of the Rotary Club of Maidstone has become the first person to win his own memorial award.
The Bernard Head Trophy will be given out annually to recognise a member who has shown commitment and dedication to the Rotary Club while not in office.
Mr Head, from Bearsted, passed away at the age of 78 last year and has posthumously become the first recipient.
He was a Rotary Club member for more than 20 years.
His widow, Helen, received the trophy from outgoing president David Hackett.
As well as being a past president, Mr Head also served as club treasurer and received a Paul Harris Fellowship, the highest Rotary award.
Roger Hext, another past president, paid tribute to Mr Head, who refused to let motor neurone disease stop him playing an active role in the Rotary Club.
“During his illness he displayed tremendous courage in coming to the club on many occasions when ill,” Mr Hext said.