Large family gather for big celebration
Couple’s full life included the ‘Dripping Tapps’
A couple celebrated 75 years of marriage with a card from the Queen and a toast from their family.
Edward and Joyce Tapp met when they were living and working in Maidstone in the 1940s.
From big families themselves, with Mr Tapp having six sisters and his wife having two, it’s no surprise that now they have two sons, Brian and Ron, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
The 95-year-olds have lived life in the County Town to the full, with Mr Tapp working at the Tovil Mill and owning a coffee bar in King Street, The Rat Trap, in the 1960s.
The couple also owned a boat, and used to enjoy sailing it on the River Medway in the 1980s. Mr Tapp even water-skied on the river for his 60th birthday.
Mrs Tapp, her daughter-in-law Kristine and grand-daughter Nicola enjoy dancing, and used to go tap dancing at Melody Marshall School of Dance.
They once performed at a school show under the name The Dripping Tapps.
Mrs Tapp’s sister, Peggy Wood, was also well-known in the area, making a name for herself as a keen fundraiser, and having a foundation and the breast care unit at Maidstone Hospital named after her.
The couple have lived in and around Maidstone for the duration of their marriage, and have recently moved from their house on Loose Road to Friars Court in the town centre.
Friends and family gathered at Bearsted’s The Bull Inn on Sunday to toast the happy couple. The Ware Street pub had been their local in the 1940s, and their son Ron, now 67, fondly recalls how they’d put him to sleep upstairs and collect him when they were ready to go home. He added: “Both me and my brother Brian would like to say congratulations to mum and dad for this achievement. They’ve done really well to get here, and we’re all so happy to have them.”