My cousin and her new husband. 1960.

On their wedding day in July 1960, in Workington, West Cumbria.
They celebrated their Diamond Wedding in July 2020.
It was a very hot sunny day.
Myself and my sister were bridesmaids. I was 13, and she was 8 years old.
I remember thinking that her dress was like something out of a fairy tale. I lived in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, then with my sister Shirley and our parents, in a two up two down terraced house on a very steep street, at the top of which were open fields and a backdrop of hills.
Ann, my cousin, was my mum’s niece. Her dad and my mum being brother and sister.
It was fun visiting my uncle and aunt. Ann was their only child and very musical. They had a piano which fascinated me, and eventually my parents bought a second hand one so I could learn.
I then went to piano lessons, eventually going on to take Music at Advanced level at Grammar school, and accompanied the school choir from time to time.
Uncle Ernie, mum’s brother used to sing with a Male Voice Choir and my cousin Ann with a Ladies Choir, also being in demand locally to sing at various events.
I can remember when she came with her new fiancé , Stewart, to visit us in Rawtenstall for the first time. He had a lovely Cumbrian accent, which bordered on a Scottish lilt at times. Over the years whenever we got together on visits, he was always the same gentle personality with a ready smile and a twinkle in his eyes.,
I have just had a long phone conversation with Ann, after the news last week that Stewart had died suddenly, reminiscing, and laughing at things which had gone down in the family annals, like the story of my mum’s hat she wore for Ann’s wedding which none of us liked as it was like a yellow bucket!
When we got home courtesy of Uncle George, who knew someone who had a big taxi he could borrow for a few days gratis, mum’s hat seemed to be missing.
He had driven all of us up through the Lakes in fine style with he and Aunty Maggie in the front, and then behind the partition separating him and Aunty from the rest of us, we sat myself and my sister on drop down seats, and mum and dad opposite on the back seat!
It all felt like a great adventure to me at least.
The kind of older car which had.a “running board” on which you could step up to get inside,
Always made me think of Al Capone somehow!
When Uncle George stopped at the bottom of the street for us to unload when we got home two days later, the heavens opened and dad said he’d rush on up the street to our house and bring some coats and brollies. Unfortunately some of the cases had already been put by the side of the car. Including mum’s hat! It had been put there in the mélée and forgotten.
Dad returned to the car with Uncle George, who had helped with the luggage, and there on the running board was mum’s hat, upside down, having collected rather a lot of rain water! Like a real bucket!
Mum was, to say the least not very pleased!
She didn’t speak to dad for days!
And the hat had shrunk when it dried out!
After an afternoon with her best friend she eventually saw the funny side of it, forgave dad, and the story went down in the annals of history.
Ann and her family of two lads and four grandchildren are now planning Stewart’s farewell. They were very much involved in their Free church, along with their sons.
She told me the house is already filled with cards and beautiful messages. I am not surprised. It is a close knit community where they live.
He will be greatly missed. Here’s the group photo.
https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2727828197797266473