Alan met Diana at a local train station just outside Leeds in West Yorkshire when he was spending a student summer in 1959 portering there, and she was a clerical assistant in the office.

They were an attractive young couple, courted and danced many a night away in Leeds dance halls, and married on 31st October 1964 once he was established in his teaching career. They bought their first house on Walker's Lane in Leeds, and started their family with the birth of Andrew in November 1965.

Following the move to Northumberland, Chris followed in December 1967 and then Nick in August 1971.

Andrew went on to become a lawyer; Nick followed his Dad's footsteps - going to Carnegie to qualify as a teacher, teaching PE initially and then also rising through the ranks to now becoming a Headmaster too.

Chris tragically died at home in Besselsleigh School (where Dad was Head) on 27th August 1990.

Alan and Diana celebrated their Golden (50th) Wedding Anniversary in October 2014. They were together for well over 50 years, even until the end when Dad came home from hospital for end of life care in August 2016, as his long battle with Parkinson's Disease neared it's end.

Mum cared for him through it all, and was with him, at his side, as he peacefully passed away, in bed at home in the early hours of Sunday 4th September 2016.