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Wedding Anniversaries

Joseph & Mary Cockburn
60 years since they scored at the football ground

Joe and Mary Cockburn, of Aged Miners Homes, Peacehaven, met when they were both out with their friends at the Ferryhill Athletic football ground. “We started chatting and just clicked”, said Mary, “..and we haven't stopped talking since”.

Joe and Mary celebrated their diamond anniversary in style at The Honest Lawyer Hotel in Croxdale along with their two sons, Malcolm and Peter and their families.

Joe who worked as a painter and decorator at Chilton Colliery and Tursdale Workshops, used to like going to the races and having a bet. “I always won”, said Joe, I used to really enjoy it”. He also worked a lot of overtime to ensure that he and Mary had good holidays, both in England and abroad. Their travels took them to Spain, Malta and the Canary Islands. “But Jersey was our favourite place to visit. We love going back there”, said Mary.

Mr and Mrs Cockburn, who married in Stockton registry office on 20 July, 1947, have lived in Peacehaven for over eleven years. “We must bet doing something right”, said Joe, “...to have been so happy together for all these years”.

Peter & Mary Conlin
In tune with each other

It was open house at Peter and Mary Conlin ‘s home in Coniston Court, Westfields in Stanley when they celebrated their golden anniversary on 28th September 2007. They also had a family dinner at Peggy's Wicket, near Pelton with their daughter Lisa, grand daughters Emma and Nicola, great grand children Liam and Ryan and Mary's two sisters and her brother.

Mary, one of a family of nine, met Peter at a Sunday-night dance in Byermoor and they courted for five years before they got married at Brooms Church, Leadgate.

Peter, 75, worked as a brake lining fitter in Newcastle and as a machine operator at a ball-bearing factory at Annfield Plain. Mary, 76, was a bus conductress in Consett when they were married.

Peter, who is now registered blind, has been singing in the Annfield Plain ‘Gleemen' male voice choir for over 44 years. Mary travels with Peter with the Gleemen who perform a varied repertoire of sacred and secular music in places as far afield as Germany and the famous National Eisteddfod in Wales. They also perform two concerts locally each year, in Summer and at Christmas.