Golden years for Jack and Monica

JACK and Monica Martin from Hatt celebrated their golden wedding with a family party at St Mellion golf and country club.

Jack was born at Callington and attended the local school. On leaving he worked at Callington Co-op. He joined the army and did service in the Far East after which he returned to Cornwall and worked on a farm at Landulph.

Monica was born at St Dominic and went to school in Landulph and then Saltash county grammar school. On leaving she worked on her parent's farm and on their milk round.

Jack and Monica met when old time dancing. They have three sons - John, Graham and Andrew. They also has six grandchildren, the youngest being two-year-old Jennifer.

Jack is a keen member of Landulph snooker club and Monica is a member of Saltash Quilters and St Nicholas and St Faith Church, Saltash.

Sign up for Swimathon

SALTASH Leisure Centre is urging local swimmers and charity fund raisers to sign up for Swimathon 2002 as soon as possible or risk missing the boat.

The Centre is one of more than 500 pools participating across the country from March 18 to 24 and local swimmers will be joining 40,000 others attempting to raise more than £2 million for Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Swimathon Foundation.

Saltash Leisure Centre is holding its session on the evening of Saturday March 23. Participants sign up for one of six challenges, and get friends and relatives to sponsor them, with the top fund raisers standing a chance of getting a five-day holiday Tenerife.

Time slots are filling up quickly, so anyone who hasn't entered and wants to take part need to fill in an entry form without delay to avoid disappointment.

To sign up, get on-line at http://www.swimathon.org">www.swimathon.org or phone the 2002 hotline on 0845 36 700 36.

Safety first

Saltash Road Safety 'Jill' quiz was held at Burraton Community Hall last week. Teams from Saltash scouts, Saltash Community School and St John Ambulance took part, with Derek Holley as the question master.

The winning team were St John Ambulance with team members Andrew Smith, Dean Fletcher and David and Martin Payne. Mayor of Saltash, Eve Storey, presented the awards.

Egged on

ST Stephen's School, Saltash, held an 'Easter Eggstravanganza' last Saturday afternoon when stalls were raising funds for outdoor play equipment for the school.

Bunches of daffodils were sold and children learnt how to decorate chocolate eggs.

Alison Armer, chairman of the friends of the school welcomed the crowds of people supporting the event.

Diamond celebration

for Cargreen couple

A CARGREEN couple who had never been to Cornwall before they retired here have just celebrated their diamond wedding.

Thomas and Joan Pittom, originally from London, had a family party at the Ploughboy Inn, Saltash, on February 28.

On leaving school, Thomas became a cinema projectionist for Pathe News. In 1938 he was called into the Ministry of Information to work in the film unit as an instructor. During the war he worked as a cameraman on secret work.

After that he worked on television newsreels with the BBC and eventually retired with Reuter's News in 1978.

Joan went to Hornsey Crouch Ends Girls school leaving at 14 to become a comptometer operator and during the war worked for the Ministry of Defence working on the bouncing bomb used in the 'dam busters' raid.

They were married at Green Wood Church and Joan said her wedding dress was made of parachute silk as clothing coupons were scarce. The bridesmaids' dresses were made from curtain material and the couple had a cardboard wedding cake with a tiny cake on top, again due to rationing.

During their wedding there were five air-raids and the reception fare consisted of corned beef and potato. They had no honeymoon.

Joan worked for BOAC after the war and then for British Airways as a flying Auntie, accompanying children on flights all over the world.

The couple have a son, David, and a daughter Susan. They have five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter who all attended the party.

Ten years ago, a few weeks after their golden wedding at Cargreen, Thomas had a stroke and has been under constant care ever since.

Joan praised the social services and the staff nurse and doctor from St Barnabas hospital who have helped.

Mothering Sunday gifts

MOTHERING Sunday services were held at both St Nicholas and St Faith and St Stephen-by-Saltash churches at the weekend. Mothers received flowers from their children on Sunday morning and a gift from the Mother Church. At St Nicholas, the congregation enjoyed simnal cake and wine in the church rooms.