A TIDDINGTON couple who met at the sweet counter in Woolworths have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.
An anniversary card from the Queen has put a big smile on the faces of Sidney and Jean Mitchell from Tiddington, who have recently celebrated their diamond wedding. Photo: Mark Williamson
Sixty years on from marrying at Stratford Registry Office on 26th May, 1962, sweethearts Sidney Mitchell and his wife Jean marked the occasion with a family barbecue at their Oak Road home with their two children, Colin and Angela, six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren .
The couple first met over the pick n mix at the former Woolies store in Bridge Street, where Jean was working at the time. Sidney explained that he used to nip in to speak to his cousin Shirley, who also worked behind the counter.
Sidney, 78, said: “I used to come in regularly to have a chat and Jean thought I was Shirley’s boyfriend. When she found out I was only Shirley’s cousin, my cousin fixed us up on a date.”
Sidney spent several years working in the bottling department of the former Flower and Sons Brewery on the Birmingham Road, before joining the construction company IDC as a steel erector. The job took him all over the country, working away during the week.
“My job took me away from home so I only saw my children at the weekends,” he said. “I really used to look forward to coming back to see my wife and family on a Friday night.”
After raising her family, Jean, 79, spent 25 years working as a chambermaid at the Alveston Manor before finishing up at the Reading Court sheltered housing scheme in Tiddington as a cleaner.
Over the years the couple, who have lived in Tiddington for the majority of their married life, have enjoyed frequent travel to Turkey to stay in their holiday apartment. With lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren it’s also fair to say they’ve done their share of child-minding too.
Nowadays, life is a bit quieter with Sidney enjoying growing his own vegetables and Jean content with doing crosswords.
“We’ve gone from babysitting to dog sitting,” added Sidney.
