Hales— Simmons

The bride, a member of the Rushden Post Office staff, is the younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. Simmons, of Kilburn-lane, Queens Park, London, and the bridegroom is the younger, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Hales of 38 St. Margarets-avenue, Rushden.

Given away by her brother-in-law, Mr. S. Jones, the bride was attired in figured satin and had a headdress of gardenias. Her bouquet consisted of red carnations, lilies of the valley, white heather and maiden-hair fern. As jewellery she wore a gold locket. There were four attendants, Maureen and June Hales, aged 6 and 9, Anne Jones, aged 2½, and Robert Willmott, aged 4. The girls were dressed in green silk ankle-length dresses trimmed with mauve velvet ribbon and the page wore green silk trousers and a white blouse. The bouquets were of carnations arid forget-me-nots.

Mr. Richard Hales, of 38, St. Margarets-avenue, was best man.

Two hymns were sung, 'O perfect love' and 'Lead us, Heavenly Father.'

Following the wedding a reception was held at the Rushden Adult School.

Three Victory Babies
Both Rushden and Higham Ferrers had a "victory" baby. Rushden's was first, a girl being, born at 7 a.m. to the wife of Pte. Kenneth Sanders, Northamptonshire Regt., at 118, Newton-road. Mother and child were visited during the afternoon by the Vice-Chairman of the Council, (Mr. J. George) and the Clerk (Mr. T. L. Watts).

In the afternoon a daughter was born at 3, Stanwick-road, Higham Ferrers, to Mrs. Hales, whose husband, Mr. Fredk. Hales, is well-known at Rushden as a newsagent and fruiterer.

Though born at Finedon, Anita Victoria Cross, daughter of an airman and his wife, will presently arrive at 111, Park-road, Rushden. She was the earliest of the local VE-Day babies, greeting the world at 3.30 a.m.

Janet back from Russia

A 21-YEAR-OLD Rushden girl, Janet Hales, is back home after a twenty-four day trip to Russia.

Janet, the eldest, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. Hales, 196 Wellingborough Road, Rushden, went with a party of 28 young people on a trip organised by the working group on youth exchange with the USSR.

Among the places she visited were the Kremlin, Lenin's grave and the Palace of Weddings in Leningrad.

Janet brought back several souvenirs including a jar of caviar and a Russian fur hat which she bought in Moscow.

First woman vice-president for club

TWO new vice-presidents were elected at last night's annual meeting of Rushden and District Query Motor Club, at the Oakley Arms, Rushden.

One of these, Mrs. Jean Hales, becomes the first woman vice-president, in the history of the club. The other new vice-president was the retiring chairman Mr. G. Willis.

The club pledged full support to the forthcoming Rushden Carnival. The following officers were elected:-
President, Mr. Bill Holt: treasurer, Mr. A. J. Harris: general secretary, Mr Ray Robinson: minute secretary, Mrs J Mobley: sports secretary, Mr D Mobley: main secretary, Mr J Ward: social secretary, Mr E Pellow: club news editor, Mr J Woodford: chairman, Mr C Sharp: vice-chairman, Mr C Wood: committee members, Messrs G Dandy, A Penness, A Patenall, R White, A Woolford, S Joyce, K Willis, G Horn.

All existing vice-presidents were re-elected.

Fred, paper seller extraordinary

Fred Hales is a man whom everyone living in Rushden for any length of time will recognise instantly.

Now 57 years old, he sold his first paper in the town at the age of 14 and only gave up his post outside the Rose and Crown in the High Street nine years ago.

Station Road was where he first began to sell papers, as a youngster. He moved to his familiar spot when old age prevented the previous vendor from carrying on. Mr. Hales has been a cripple since the age of six, when lost his left leg. This kept him in Northampton General Hospitals for two years.

Fred was a "permanent lure" on the street corner. People would only notice something wrong if they could not see him at his regular place.

He has many recollections of his days as a newspaper seller, but none so vivid as the night King George V died. The King was seriously ill and at six o'clock that evening they received a special section of papers, wrapped in paper with strict instructions not to undo the wrapping

Mr. Hales and the man running the Evening Telegraph office at that time, Mr Geoffrey Wilson, could not resist the temptation and opened the papers to read the headline "King is dead." Six hours later (at midnight) they received a telephone call telling them to open the papers and sell them since the King died.

Fred was selling papers throughout the night on that occasion and did not return home until nine o'clock the following morning.

Working until two o'clock in the morning was a regular occurrence during the wartime. There was always the possibility of a special edition being issued.

One event which kept Mr. Hales busy was the R101 air-ship disaster. It happened on a Sunday—when there were no evening papers. "We kept filling the office window with the latest bulletins as they came across to us by phone," he said, "and people rushed forward at each new bulletin. We would have sold millions of papers that day if we had had them."

He now owns a grocer's at 196 Wellingborough Road. He has been there for 22 years and renovated it at the beginning of the vear, calling it "Hale's Superette."

The new face outside the Rose and Crown, that of Bill Dee, is becoming just as well-known. Mr. Dee has been working with Mr. Hales for over 20 years and took over; his post for him five years ago.

Well earned rest

AFTER 29 years as Rushden shopkeepers, Fred and Jean Hales are going into retirement to take a well earned rest.

They have run Hales Superette in Wellingborough Road for the last 23 years and before that owned the fruit shop in Windmill Road.

"I shall certainly miss all the friends we have made here, and I don't know what Fred will do without the shop to look after," said Jean.

They are hoping to move down to the West Country somewhere but are not sure when they will be going.

Fred also sold "Evening Telegraphs" in the High Street for 46 years and at one time had 12 paperboys working under him.

They have three children, Janet, 28, Susan, 26, and Penny, 11, and Penny will be going with them to their new home.

The shop will be taken over by Len and Val Ward.