Golden celebrations

A COUPLE who have lived in Saltash for seven years but met across the Tamar at the St Budeaux Youth Club celebrated their golden wedding on Good Friday.

Walter and Pearl Smith lived in St Budeaux and both attended Victoria Road School and later Camel's Head School.

On leaving school Walter, the eldest of 11 children, became a boy seaman on the ammunition ships at Ernesettle. He served for two years in the Royal Berkshire Regiment in East Africa as a medical orderly. After completing his time in the Army, Walter transferred to working on Admiralty tugs in the dockyard and retired in 1985 after 41 years' service.

His mother's family, who were called Gill, lived at Saltash Waterside and his grandfather took care of the railway station horses. Two of his uncles worked on the Saltash ferry.

Pearl (nee Haddy), on leaving school at 14, worked in the grocery section of Dingles as a shop assistant for three years. For 18 years she worked for Bush/Rank/Toshiba on the assembly line becoming a supervisor. She also worked at HMS Drake.

Married at Cobourg Street Register Office, they had no honeymoon as money was short. The couple have two sons, Michael living at Plymouth and David at Saltash. They have two grandchildren, Helen and Martin, and two step-grandchildren, Marie and Martyn.

On their big day, their family took them out to lunch and later a limousine, complete with chauffeur hired for the occasion, took the couple on a tour of their favourite locations in Plymouth and St Budeaux.

They returned to their son's house in Saltash where a party of family and friends from all parts of the country awaited them to conclude the day's celebrations.

Procession

of witness

SALTASH Churches Together held a Good Friday procession of witness.

The day started with a service at Saltash Wesley Church, which was followed by a walk to St Nicholas and St Faith Church where a communion service was held.

The walk continued to Saltash Baptist Church for closing prayers and hot cross buns and coffee.

The Easter Day service at Saltash Wesley Church was very lively. The service was led by the Rev Ian Souter and the Rev Edward Musanda who is visiting from Zambia and staying in the town for a few weeks.

Spring

fayre

CROSS Park Pre School is holding a Spring Fayre at the school grounds on April 27 from 2pm to 4pm.

Stalls include bric-a-brac, bottle stalls, tombola, hair braiding and face and nail painting.