A Monthly Publication

 The Hunstanton Branch of the Royal Naval Association had its December meeting hi-jacked by its President, Roy Clark and his wife, Doreen, who used the occasion to celebrate sixty years of married life in the company of their shipmates. They had, of course, already enjoyed a celebratory lunch with their children and grandchildren. 

              The couple were married at the Church of St Michael at Bowes in Wood Green on 3rd December 1949, which was such a dreadful day weather-wise, with pouring rain and a gale force wind, that it was not possible to take pictures outside. Instead, they were photographed on the stage of the Church Hall, for which there was no charge, because Doreen, as a member of the Parochial Church Council, was given use of the Church Hall as a 'wedding present'.

  The vicar also gave his services for free, in recognition of the fact that Roy and Doreen were running the Youth Club at that time. Doreen's wedding dress, which was borrowed from a friend, was probably being used for the third time. All of which goes to show that there is no correlation between the cost of a wedding reception and the duration of a marriage.

  It was just as well that the couple had not splashed out on an expensive reception, because Roy had only just qualified after completing a post naval service course and was in temporary employment. While Doreen had been given notice from the bank where she worked, because the policy in those days was not to employ married women on a full-time basis. However, because of the consequent cessation of her pension rights, she was awarded a "dowry" of £100. How times have changed.

  Roy served as a Petty Officer Radar Mechanic in the Fleet Air Arm for three and a half years between 1943 and 1947, while Doreen was working on the famous "Enigma" project at Bletchley Park. The closest Roy got to Norfolk during his naval career was a posting to HMS Royal Arthur, better known to most of us by its civilian title - Butlins at Skegness!

  However, in the early years of the war Roy had been evacuated to Levington, near Wisbech, from whence he was able to cycle in the direction of the home he and Doreen have lived in on Princess Drive for the past twenty-one years. After the war Roy and Doreen developed a taste for life in this part of the world when they took their children: Adrian, Hilary and Kevin, for many enjoyable holidays on a family-run farm in mid Norfolk.

  The couple, who are regular worshippers at Heacham Parish Church, have joined in many aspects of Community life and hope to continue to do so. Until he took early retirement in 1988, Roy had worked in Local Government in North London and his wealth of experience has been of enormous benefit to Hunstanton Civic Society, especially in its dealings with the Borough Council.

  Roy joined the Committee within weeks of the Society's inaugural meeting in 2002 and has been an active member ever since. In 2007 he accepted the role of Chairman and bravely steered the Society through some rather choppy waters, churned up by the Pier; or, to be more precise, by the presence of a 'non-pier' on The Green where the entrance to Hunstanton Pier should be…