By Dave Gudgeon

Last updated 05:36, Friday, 25 July 2008

A RETIRED teacher has embarked on a new life helping couples across north Cumbria to tie the knot – including one of his former pupils.

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Textbook: John Allen, from Blackford, near Carlisle, worked for 35 years at Caldew School, Dalston, before starting as a registrar performing civil marriages, civil partnerships and naming ceremonies John has been performing marriages, civil partnerships, citizenship ceremonies and naming ceremonies since retiring from teaching last year: 23 July 2008

John Allen taught maths at Dalston’s Caldew school for 35 years before retiring last summer.

Since then he has worked as a registration officer, presiding over marriages, civil ceremonies, citizenship ceremonies and naming ceremonies.

The 58-year-old, who is an active member of the Dalston Drama Society, said: “I love the job – being the centre of attraction. I think it’s the actor in me.”

And his new job even brought him face-to-face with one of his pupils from 30 years ago.

“It was someone who left Caldew in 1978 and was getting married for the second time,” he said. “He recognised me and said he never expected to be married by his old maths teacher! I must have left some sort of impression on him.

“That is the only time it has happened but I imagine it will happen more and more in coming years.”

Mr Allen,who lives with his wife Helen – another retired teacher – at Blackford, near Carlisle, applied for the job as the end of his final term approached.

He said: “There was a lot I wanted to do in retirement – reading, gardening, watching Newcastle United – but I also fancied working part-time.

“I was interviewed for this job on the morning of my last day at Caldew school and heard I’d been successful when I got back from a holiday. It is a wonderful life – I love every minute of it.

“I work most Friday and Saturdays and some Sundays in the summer but much less in the winter – that gives me time to watch Kevin Keegan’s team and the wage helps pay for my season ticket at Newcastle.

“I go round lots of different hotels to carry out the ceremonies – places like the Crown at Wetheral and the Dalston Hall, which are lovely.

“There’s also a fabulous place on Ullswater and next month I’ve got a wedding at Carlisle Racecourse for the first time. It’s great to play a central role in what is such a big day in the life of so many people. And, unlike at school sometimes, you know at one of these ceremonies that everyone wants to be there.

“Having said that, there are lots of things I miss about teaching such as the camaraderie of the classroom and a lot of the kids. But I can live without after-school meetings and SATS.”

Mr Allen’s wife has just left Carlisle’s Brook Street primary school after 37 years.