On Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. William A. Ainge, of 88, Newton-road, Rushden, whose golden wedding was on August 2^nd, held a celebration and family party at the Unicorn Hotel, Grove-street, Rushden.

  The festivities were postponed on account of holiday week.

  Many presents were received by Mr. and Mrs. Ainge, to commemorate their anniversary, along with the good wishes of their many friends, and at Saturday’s party Mr. J. King Skinner and Mr. W. Bunting voiced the good wishes of the company.  Mr. Abbott, landlord of “The Unicorn” rendered valuable assistance in making the arrangements for the occasion.

  The evening was enlivened with some dancing to the strains of Bill Haynes’ band, and everybody spent an enjoyable time.

  Mr. and Mrs. Ainge have lived at No. 88, Newton-road, Rushden for the past 47 years – practically the whole of their married life, in fact.  Mr. Ainge came from Northampton in 1882, and the next year married a daughter of Mr. Peter Eayres, of the same town, a great figure in local football circles.  They came to live in Rushden, where Mr. Ainge was working, and took their present house in Newton-road.

  There is a family of one son, Mr. Albert Ainge, now married and living in Northampton, and two daughters, Mrs. Harry Rice, of Newton-road, Rushden, whose husband is secretary of the local Clubs’ Blind and Crippled Children’s Fund, and Mrs. George Holliday, of Hayden Estate, Rushden.  There are four grandchildren: the two sons of Mr. Albert Ainge, and the two daughters of Mrs. Holliday.

Free Gardener

  Mr. Ainge is well-known in the town.  He has taken a prominent part in the work of the Free Gardeners and was one of the promoters of the Myrtle Lodge, the first meetings in connection with which were held in the Coffee Tavern over 40 years ago.  With Mr. William Frisby (the present secretary) he gathered together a group of people who were interested, and the Myrtle Lodge was founded with a membership of 35.

  Mr. Frisby was elected the Grand Worthy Master, and Mr. Ainge the first secretary.  The membership reached 200 before Mr. Ainge retired from active association, six years later, and he has always taken a keen interest in the work.

  Mr. Ainge was a great friend of the late Mr. A. G. C. Vann, when that gentleman was teaching in Rushden and together they promoted the Working Men’s Club and Institute in Griffith-street.

  Rushden had a population of more than 8,000 when Mr. Ainge started work as a boot clicker in Messrs. William Green and Son’s factory – then at the bottom of the Wymington-road.  Since those early days he has been with Messrs. Denton, James Hyde and Co., and H. Wrighton, retiring only two years ago.

  Now he spends a good deal of his time on his allotment of 22 poles, and in his own words, makes himself generally useful in the house.