Former Basingstoke mayor and mayoress to celebrate golden wedding anniversary (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Cllr George Hood, who represents the Norden area of Basingstoke, and his wife Davina, married in March 1963
10:30am Saturday 23rd March 2013 in News By Adam Richards
George Hood and his wife Davina
A FORMER borough mayor and mayoress will mark a magnificent milestone this weekend as they celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.
Councillor George Hood and wife Davina, of Bennet Close, Oakridge, Basingstoke, will mark the occasion with a family celebration.
George, 76, first met Davina, 72, back in January 1962 at a dance in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
Both still vividly remember the occasion. Davina said: “The majority of Aberdeen men were quite short. Then this tall man asked me for a dance which I thought was great....he couldn’t dance though.”
George said: “I remember the colour of her dress, it made her stand out. I asked her for a dance, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
The couple got engaged in September 1962 and tied the knot on March 22, 1963. On Saturday, they will be joined by their family to mark the occasion.
They have two sons, Christopher, 48, and Stephen, 46, and six grandchildren.
The pair said they have many happy memories of their 50 years together but said George’s year as Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane in 2008-2009 really stood out.
Davina said: “I am incredibly grateful to George for his year as mayor. I went from being incredibly shy to meeting people I would never in a lifetime have met. It was just the most wonderful time in our lives and I love him for it.”
George has been a Basingstoke and Deane borough councillor since 1992. He trained as an engineer and worked at Thornycroft in Basingstoke. Davina was maternity nurse at The Shrubbery, in Basingstoke and then, after having children, worked as an auxiliary at what became Basingstoke hospital.
They said the secret to a long and happy marriage is “love and respect for each other”.
George added: “The fact is that Davina is my best friend to be honest.”
The couple’s daughter-in-law, Alison Hood, 49, from Overton, who is organising the anniversary celebration, said the pair are an inspiration. She said: “I was proud enough for my own parents golden wedding anniversary a couple of years ago. To have both sets of parents celebrating is quite an achievement – and definitely one to be celebrated in this day and age.”
