A FORMER Miss Redditch will celebrate 50 years of being a Mrs when she and her husband toast their golden wedding anniversary today (Friday).
Carolyn Anne, known to her friends and family as Anne, and her husband David tied the knot at St Luke’s Church, Headless Cross, on August 4, 1973.
The family pranked the couple on their wedding day by decorating their new car with lipstick, foam, ribbons and tinned cans and even stuffed kippers in the air vents.
After the reception they then drove the car all the way to the Isle of Wight for their honeymoon and, en route, it smelt extremely fishy.
Anne was a one of two twins and was born in Birmingham while David was born in Ohio, America, and moved to England when he was nine.
She attended Redditch County High School and he went to Sacred Heart College in Droitwich.
Anne worked as a teacher at various schools around Redditch, including Lodge Farm (now Woodfield), Arrrow Vale, St Bedes and finally at Mount Carmel – the school she was at when she retired.
She was also a ballet teacher at Redditch’s Ecumenical Centre, worked for Lord Hertford at Ragley Hall and made costumes for TV, including the Benny Hill Show.
And she was a cub scout leader in Headless Cross for many years.
David worked in the motor trade as a vehicle service manager. He also had a shop selling motor vehicle spares.
It was in 1968 that Anne was Miss Redditch and the carnival queen.
Although they were not dating at the time, Anne and David knew each other, having grown in the same neighbourhood in Headless Cross.
David remembers watching Anne leading the carnival and said he felt like he knew someone famous, adding she ‘looked absolutely stunning’.
Their first date was a year later in 1969 when they went to the pictures in Stratford-upon-Avon.
They had four sons – Dominic, Jonathan, William and Freddie and have six grandchildren – Matthew, Max, Mason, Holly, Lucy and Nella.
Over the years they have enjoyed camping and caravaning with the family.
Anne loves wildlife, arts and crafts, sewing and needlework and is also a member of the Redditch Choral Society, while David is a keen gardener and a vintage car and tractor enthusiast
They will be celebrating their anniversary today by going for a meal and seeing the family.
When asked about the secret to a long marriage they said: “We both have shared family values.”
Their sons told the Standard: “Mum and dad always provided a happy home and we loved our childhood growing up in Redditch.
“As a family we are very close and were always encouraged by our parents in our passions and given the best of opportunities.
“They are very proud parents and grandparents and we make sure we see each other weekly.”
