A Very Special Day

I had the pleasure of a phone call from Granny today. When first told about this blog, she had been a little concerned, despite flattered, that it would contain some stories about her and Grandpa. 'Will everyone on the internet get to read it?' she worried. An understandable reaction, but one that left a niggle with me, until today.

Today I had a gleeful phone call from Granny. 'Oooh would you like a little story?' 'Yes Granny' I smile. 'I'm only asking because you seem to be interested in this silly old information'. 'Yes I am, tell me more..'

So...

It seems that today is Granny and Grandpa's wedding anniversary. 70 years already, I'm thinking, surely we would all be celebrating? It turns out that Granny herself had forgotten, until Grandpa appeared with an especially large bunch of pink roses. He buys her flowers every week, and always has done, but these, he declares, are a 'special' bunch. Not for their official wedding anniversary, which is on the 28th April, but for their second wedding anniversary.

After having eloped on the 28th April 1942 (getting married in a registry office in Reigate, witnessed by a passing sailor and soldier), Grandpa was set to go off to North Africa, leaving from Scotland six months later, on the 14th October. Knowing that Granny is Catholic, and getting married in a Registry Office was not what she had imagined as a child, he wanted to make sure she felt really married, in the eyes of God. So when Granny arrived in Scotland to see him off, he decided to organise a last-minute wedding ceremony.

Bobby and John were married 69 years ago today, on the 13th October 1942, at 11 o'clock at night, by the Catholic priest at the Church of St Mary's, Saltcoats. A local doctor and his wife were witnesses.

First thing the following morning, Grandpa left to go back to war.

St Mary's (Our Lady Star of the Sea), Saltcoats, Ayrshire.