8:35am Sunday 17th June 2007
By Jonathan Moyes
CHILDHOOD sweethearts celebrated 70 years of marriage on Tuesday.
Sidney Rose, 94, met his future wife Peggy, 91, when they were walking home from school.
He said: "It was just love at first sight. I was 16 and she was 14 and I grabbed her before anyone else could get hold of her. She's been a wonderful partner."
The couple, who celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary at their home in Leadale Avenue, Chingford Mount, say Mrs Rose's great cooking is the secret of their long-lasting marriage.
They married at St Mary's Church in Tottenham in 1937 and in the same year moved from Tottenham to their current address where they have lived for all of their 70 years as man and wife.
Mr Rose said: "You could say we had a honeymoon in Chingford and when we bought the house it was part-built but the builder managed to complete it that summer and cattle used to come from the fields which was part of Soper's Dairy farm."
During the Second World War, Mr Rose wanted to become an RAF fighter pilot but the Government thwarted his ambitions because they thought his job as a foreman at local firm Lebus was far too important in terms of helping the war effort.
"I had a letter from Lord Beaverbrook (Minister for Aircraft Production from 1940 to 1941) which said that under no circumstances would I be able to join any military service," he said.
However, Mr Rose did manage to come into contact with aircraft during the war by installing parts on aeroplanes such as Spitfires and Mosquitoes.
After the war he became timber mill manager for timber suppliers James Latham where he worked for 30 years until he retired at 65.
His wife Peggy was a sample machinist at Bourne and Hollingworth in central London for seven years until she married and spent her time bringing up their son and daughter.
The couple also have five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
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