Funerals have been held for a pair of shop owner 'legends' who worked in a Kent high street for 60 years and died just weeks apart.

Gordon and Gladys White ran the much-loved The Central Pie Shop in East Street Sittingbourne, famed for its meat and bean offering, as well as its cheese straws.

The pair, who were married nearly 70 years and had 15 great-grandchildren, took it over in the 1960s.

Their daughter, Diane Long has been working in the family business since she was 13.

The 58-year-old said: "Mum was always happy shopping or baking.

"She was the very epitome of loving and giving. It seemed that whoever she met, wherever she travelled, she made friends.

"My dad was a very hard-working man throughout his life, but he always did what he had to do with good humour and they were both very happy go lucky people.

"Dad worked hard all week, getting up before five every day until way into his 80s, baking in the shop and overseeing the running of the family business.

"They were legends of the town."

Gladys died on May 4, aged 89, and Gordon passed away just three days after her funeral, on June 30. He was 90.

Mr White was laid to rest last MondayAugust1.

The couple were married for close to 70 years and had three children - Malcolm, Andrew and Diane - nine grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

The Central Pie Shop continues to sell sausage rolls, meat and bean pies, meat pies, steak pies, steak and kidney pies and more.

Diane explained: "We're famous for the cheese straws - we make lovely cheese straws and Marmite cheese straws are very popular as well.

"The meat and bean pie is one of the best sellers. We even had flowers for my dad's funeral like the meat and bean pie."

The Central Pie Shop was founded in 1932 by Freddie George, when it was located at 6 East Street - now Bourne's funeral directors.

It was given its name because at that time the crossroads were considered to be the centre of Sittingbourne.

Freddie mum, and Gordon's great aunt, Rhoda George, also opened a shop in Sheerness in 1939.

A Maidstone branch launched in 1948 and an Ashford one in 1950, but Sittingbourne's is the only one that remains.

Gordon began working at the pie shop, where his parents Alice and Arthur were also employed worked, in the 60s after finishing an apprenticeship.

He did his National Service in the Royal Artillery and finished in the building trade.

He took over the Sittingbourne shop in 1973 when the shop re-located to 30-32 East Street.

Diane said: "In one of my dad's diaries he said that he remembered staff lining up first thing in the morning so he could do a hand and nails inspection.

"He explained that East Street had five butcher shops, six tobacconist shops, and one pie shop.

"There were three hardware shops and one forge."

Gordon also commented on a number of characters in the area at the time.

Reading from her father's writing Diane said: "First was Mr Lough, he was a boot repairer, his nephew worked in the mill and he used to help his uncle in the shop.

"He was also a marathon runner and a Kent swimming champion.

"Another character, who used to have an arcade where you could buy anything from a pin to a gas cooker, was Charlie Smith.

"He used to come from Gillingham by the train every morning, arrive at 8.30am in his bowler hat and black suit with a briefcase.

"He had an office with very old furniture in it and he had about 20 cats running around."

Gordon also said there was one shop near his that had two Italian ex-prisoners of war who sold ice cream.

Diane added: "He said the ice cream was out of this world. Where they got the ingredients from you'd never know.

"Dad also explained how East Street was very busy but it was being turned into a residential area with no shops."

Diane finished: "Me and my brothers feel incredibly lucky to have had the parents that we did.

"And we know that although they have now left this world we will never lose our memories."