Couple from Little Common, near Bexhill mark 70 years of marriage

Peter and Mary Allen, both 91, marked their platinum wedding anniversary on January 14, holding a family party.

The couple were brought up in the Breconshire towns, Crickhowell and Brynmawr and met in Abergavenny in 1948 following Peter’s army service.

Peter’s career in local government took them to Moreton in Marsh in the Cotswolds where they raised their three sons.

In 1966 the family moved to Battle when Peter was appointed treasurer of Battle Rural District Council.

In 1974, following the reorganisation of local government, Peter became the first chief financial officer of the newly formed Rother District Council and in 1978 they moved to Little Common where they still live today.

On retirement from local government, Peter began his second career as a freelance accountant working for a number of charitable organisations including Pestalozzi and, for some 35 years, Bexhill Talking Newspaper.

Peter was treasurer and a church warden at St Mark’s Church in Little Common where Mary ran the junior church.

Mary qualified as a teacher in 1946 and despite family commitments taught in many schools including, locally, Battle and Langton Primary, Claverham and the Downs school.

Some 20 years after retiring from mainstream teaching Mary developed an interest in teaching very young children and at the age of 82 she obtained an honours degree in Early Learning at Greenwich University.

Mary put her skills to use by teaching at Montesorri nursery schools, only retiring for the second time at the age of 85.

Peter and Mary have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In other news:

Bexhill mother ‘strangled to death while seven-month-old daughter was in the room’.

Sussex Police’s share of council tax could rise again.

Restoration work is underway to restore beautiful seafront shelters in Bexhill.