A PENSIONER is planting a tree in memory of her late husband in an attempt to heal a 35-year family rift. Ellen Daniels, 75, has not heard from her husband Horace's relations - who live in Ightham and Wrotham - since his death in 1966.

Mrs Daniels, from Croydon, hopes the tree planting ceremony at Ightham Mote on Friday, February 22, will lead to a family reunion. She will be joined by her son, Laurence Daniels, 52, and daughter Belinda MacSweeny, who is 45.

Mrs Daniels believes her husband's family disapproved of their marriage from the beginning and the rift widened following Mr Daniels' death. She said: "There was a culture of difference between country people and town people 50 years ago," she said. "They couldn't forgive him for marrying out of the village."

Mr Daniels was born in 1920 and lived in a bungalow on Ightham Common until he joined the RAF, aged 19. He served in Egypt during the Second World War.

After the war, he moved to Croydon with his young family. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1960 and died, aged 46, in 1966.

Mrs Daniels, who is blind and recently wrote a book, Losing Your Sight, said: "Nothing has been done in memory of my husband because I hadn't found anything which would be suitable.

"Ightham Mote offered me an oak tree which we will plant near the driveway and it means a great deal to us. It will just be the three of us there but anybody else from the family would be welcome."

The tree planting ceremony will be at 1pm. To contact Mrs Daniels, call 0208 6575377.