Eastbourne couple celebrate 70 years of marriage

Len and Mary Trigwell met in East Grinstead when Mary, now 87, was working as a waitress and Len, now 89, was an amateur boxer. Mary’s brother was also into boxing and the pair met at a boxing match. They later married at East Grinstead Parish Church.

The couple moved to Eastbourne in 1969 and bought a restaurant called New Lounge in Cornfield Terrace. They ran the restaurant for seven years before buying a hotel opposite Eastbourne Pier. They sold it in 1987. Len said, “It was very, very hard work and so was the restaurant. The restaurant was more hard work. We never got any time off. We were always working.”

Len was a member of Willingdon Golf Club for 23 years and they have both enjoyed playing indoor bowls.

They have also enjoyed travelling and when they sold the hotel they enjoyed a trip of a lifetime to South Africa.

The couple had three children themselves and are now grandparents to four and great-grandparents to three.

When asked the secret to a happy marriage, Len said, “Having a row every day! We are both opposites but it seems to work.” The couple celebrated their milestone with friends and family at the Hydro Hotel.