Kentish Express Ashford & District
Couple’s 70 years of marriage
The year 2017 is a very special one for John and Cynthia Duell of Aldington.
The couple celebrated their joint 92nd birthdays on January 30 and yesterday (Wednesday) they achieved the landmark milestone of having been married for 70 years.
Mr Duell was one of 13 children born into an agricultural worker’s family near Peterborough in Northamptonshire.
It was here that he met his wife to be, Cynthia (nee Fenner) one of four children of a farmer/horse dealer in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey.
Mrs Duell specialised in dairying 10am to 4pm Ashford International Hotel Simone Weil Avenue, Ashford, Kent TN24 8UX and hand milking and was working near Fotheringhay in Northants. Mr Duell served in the local Home Guard and Mrs Duell was in the Women’s Land Army.
Romance quickly blossomed and they married at Oundle Register Office on Saturday, March 15 in 1947.
In order to improve his position, Mr Duell gradually worked his way down the country, firstly tractor driving and lorry driving, before he moved into agricultural engineering and finally ran a small garage/filling station.
During this time Mrs Duell was fully occupied bringing up their family of seven children, five boys and two girls.
Eventually, after much hard work, the couple were able to buy their own home and from here they ran a motor repair business.
In addition to being an integral part of this business, Mrs Duell also drove the local school taxi for many years.
The latter years also saw them achieve another ambition which was to own a small farm on which they had sheep, poultry, cattle and bred Shetland ponies.
They live with one of their sons at their home in Aldington.
The couple have five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.