Local news for Snodland and Halling


VINCE O’Connell and Joan Bishop were both 15 years old when theymet. They were engaged two years later in 1954, married in 1957 – and have now celebrated their dia- mond wedding. They have been involved with weight train-


ing clubs for many years and run the Sara- cens gym at Snodland Community Centre. The couple, who live at Charles Close,


Snodland, held a party for their two sons and a daughter, nine grandchildren, five great- grandchilden, members of the gym and a host of friends at the community centre. Vincewas a physical training instructor in the


Vince and Joan cut their anniversary cake


army, then joined the fire brigade for 14 years, followed by 40 years at Reeds Paper Mill, Aylesford, including time in its fire service. He fought as an amateur and professional


Keith and Joan beat the blueswith party


FIFTY years to the day, a couple who met in Libya and married in Snodland celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in the town. Keith and Joan Holdstock were


married at All Saints Church on January 20, 1968 and on January 20 this year, they celebrated their golden wedding at the commu- nity hall at Christ Church. They met in Benghazi in Libya.


Keith was in the army and Joan was running a book shop and hostel for Red Shield, the social arm of the Salvation Army. Keith, who was born in Brook Street, Snodland, was posted back to the UK. After their wedding, the pair


went to Blackpool and then to Germany until Keith was dis- charged from the army in 1974. In Snodland, the couple lived in


Norman Road and Dryland Road, before moving to Hook Road in 2006. They have two daughters, Claire and Dawn, and three


grandchildren,Matthew, Alex and Sophie. Keith worked for Kimberly-


Clark, at Larkfield, before taking early retirement. He and Joan are members of a large number of clubs and organisations in the town – both are members of STARA (Snodland Town Active Retirement Association), Joan is in theWI and Keith is fixtures sec- retary for Townsend Hook Bowls Club. They are members of the art


and whist clubs, help out at the Memory Club at Christ Church hall and are involved with S.T.O.P. open youth club for 10 to 15 year olds. They provided the food at the


Beat the Winter Blues party on their anniversary and Keith said: “There was a really lovely atmos- phere at the party. “Our cake was made by Cathy


Smith and our thanks go to Dorothy Drew and her gang for organising it.”


Jimand Bridget Cork celebrate 50 years ofmarriage with family and friends


Couple celebrate with ords cruise


A CRUISE to the Norwegian fjords helped a Snodland couple celebrate 50 years together. Jim and Bridget Cork, of St


Katherine’s Lane, Snodland, met in Germany in 1966 and were married within a year. Another part of their celebration


of 50 years of marriage was a lunch with about 100 family and friends and members of Snod- land Town Active Retirement As- sociation (STARA) at


the


community centre. Jim was serving in the Royal


Army Medical Corps and Bridget was in Queen Alexander’s Royal Army Nursing Corps when they met. Aftermarrying on December 9, 1967, Jim was posted to Malaya in January and Bridget joined him in the summer of that year. Their lives continued with the


army, serving in different parts of the world over 22 years of service. In 1985, Jim became a civilian


Fifty golden years for Keith and Joan Holdstock, whomarried in 1968


and started working for St John Ambulance as a first aid trainer until 1990, when he was called up


fromthe Army Reserve to serve in the first Gulf War. Bridget continued as a nurse


working in the community. The couple, who both retired in


2010, have lived in Snodland for 35 years, first inMalling Road and later Dryland Road, before mov- ing to St Katherine's Lane. They have three married


daughters – Stephany, Joanna and Anne, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Jim played cricket for Snod-


land Community Cricket Club, andboth play bowls. They are ac- tive members of STARA and Bridget was chairman for four years and Jim was treasurer. Bridget is now chairman of Townsend Hook Bowls Club and Jim is treasurer. Talking about their party, Brid-


get said: “We had a fantastic time and were overwhelmed by the number of people who turned up. We would like to thank everybody and also those who sent congrat- ulations. We look forward to the future years together."


Town Talk Sparkling still - couplewhomet at 15


wrestler all over the UK, as well as in Ger- many, France and Belgium. He was in the wrestling squad for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 but broke a bone and finished up in hospital. He has run weight training clubs for more


than 60 years and is assisted by Joan at the Snodland gym, which has 50 members. Joan was born in a cottage opposite the


New Jerusalem Church in Snodland High Street. She worked at Reed Paper Mill, and Townsend Hook Paper Mill, Snodland. They thankedmembers of the Saracens for


an anniversary present and Dylis Crook for a first-class buffet at the party. “We would like to thank everybody who


came to our party,” they said. "It was a won- derful night and everyone was so kind.”


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