Deputy Mayor of Ferryhill, Councillor Liam Fellows visited a lovely local couple, Jack and Ann Gash, as they celebrated 60 years of marriage on Thursday 28th September 2023, they were presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and an engraved whisky tumbler on behalf of Ferryhill Town Council, the presentation was extra special to the couple as the Deputy Mayor, Liam, is their grandson.
Jack, from Ferryhill Station, met Ann from West Cornforth at a dance at the old Ferryhill Station WMC and they were married at St Aiden’s Church in Chilton on 28th September 1963.
After leaving school in 1955 Jack started work at Mainsforth Colliery and has worked in pits across the Durham Coalfield over the years, lastly Vane Tempest until the colliery closed in 1991, he then went on to become a greenkeeper at Ramside Hall until he retired in 2009.
When Ann left school she worked at Siemens and Smart and Browns before taking a break to raise the couples 4 children. Once the family were up she returned to work as a cleaner in local schools and was cleaning supervisor at Ferryhill Station Primary School before retiring from Prismo in Ferryhill Station.
The couple who lived in Ferryhill Station, moved to Nottingham for 3 years following colliery work in 1967, they returned to Ferryhill and moved into Haig Street where they lived for 48 years before moving into a bungalow in Belsay Close this year. They have 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
Jack enjoyed socialising with friends in the Eldon Arms and Commercial Hotel until the closure and Ann is a regular at Ferryhill Sport & Education Centre for the coffee morning, lunch club and weekly bingo.
The couple celebrated by hosting a party for family and friends to enjoy the occasion with them.