Kettering couple who met at Wellingborough Zoo celebrate 65 years of marriage
An encounter at Wellingborough Zoo has led to 65 happy years of marriage for a Kettering couple.
16-year-old Mary Rockingham from Stanwick had popped to the zoo with a friend on their days off when they bumped into two local lads doing the same.
Alan Headland who lived on Rushden High Street had already seen Mary as she worked in the chemists shop two doors down from his parents’ flat.
Mary, 84, said: “We used to have Thursdays off and we were wandering around Wellingborough Zoo. That’s when he saw me.
"He was good looking! It took me a while to latch onto his attention. He went into the Army and during that time we courted.”
Persistent Alan, now 86, found ways to return to see Mary even taking an unauthorised detour in a tank to visit his sweetheart.
“He was on some sort of mission. He drove to see me at my house in Stanwick. I don’t know if anyone noticed.”
In 1960 the couple married at St Laurence Church. Alan had left the Army and began work in the burgeoning telecoms industry, first working and living in Northampton where son Neil was born in 1965, followed by Darren two years later.
The family moved to the town, settling on the new Ise Lodge estate. Daughter Lisa was born in 1975.
Alan and Mary became founding members of Christ The King Church from its days in a temporary building, seeing the community grow.
Mary said: "I didn’t go back to work until Lisa was 13. I was the old fashioned housewife. We have been very involved in the church. It’s been our life, it’s been part of our story together.”
At the age of 49, Mary retrained as a dental nurse, enjoying the opportunity to study after having left school at the age of 15.
She continued until the age of 70, enjoying retirement with Alan.
The couple have been proud to share their lives with their family – friendships spanning generations.
Mary said: “We do things together, and we do disagree sometimes but we don’t fall out, the relationship just grows. It’s inconceivable that we would ever break up.
"I guess it’s ‘til death do us part.”