In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding, which was reached on Wednesday, Mr and Mrs John Mead, of 11 Victoria-road, Rushden, are entertaining a party of relatives and friends at their home tomorrow. When they came to Rushden, 50 years ago, there were only three streets in the villageHigh-street, Duck-street, and Little-street. There were five boot factories, Cave’s, Colson’s, the two Claridge’s, and Denton’s.

Mr Mead was born at Northampton, and his wife is a native of Irthlingborough. They were married at the Wellingborough Registry Office on March 13^th 1879 (on the day on which the Duke of Connaught was also married). The Rushden bride and bridegroom used the only ‘fly’ in Rushden to go to Wellingborough, and that belonged to Mr Joseph Robinson (father of Mr Charles Robinson and Mr George Robinson). Mr and Mrs Mead will both be 70 next August.

Two of the most notable events that Mr Mead recalls are the opening of the branch line from Wellingborough through Rushden to Higham Ferrers, and the birth of “The Rushden Echo” (the premises of which were for many years opposite to his house). Mr and Mrs Mead have naturally been amongst our earliest readers.

Although he had done various jobs in other parts of the country, Mr Mead has been a boot finisher all his working life in Rushden. He is an honorary life member of the Higham Ferrers Athletic Club, and has been a Free Gardener since the lodge in Rushden was opened.

Of the ten children of Mr and Mrs Mead six are living. Two boys died in infancy, a married daughter died about 13 years ago, and the eldest son (a South African War soldier) was killed in the Great War. The living are: Mr F Mead who is with his parents; Mrs Steel, who lives next door; Mrs W Wood, of Fitzwilliam Street; Mrs Croft, of Woodford; another daughter, Mrs Reynolds, is at Wigston; and the “baby” Mr George Mead is in Ceylon, where he is engaged on Government electrical engineering works. He went to that country as a soldier with the garrison artillery. The whole family are held in high esteem in the district, and we join their many friends in wishing Mr and Mrs Mead health and happiness on the occasion of their golden wedding and for many years to come.