We meet an Albrighton couple that were wed at St Barts Church in Penn some 60 years ago and find out about the ways of courting back in that era.
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00:00We're here in Albrighton with Jean and Ray. How are you guys?
00:04Hello, we're fine, thank you.
00:06Good stuff. Well you should be because you're celebrating your 60th anniversary.
00:10We are. Diamond.
00:12You don't get that for murder.
00:14You don't dear, 60 years. I mean, you know, that's a fair good going, isn't it?
00:18Two murders for that.
00:19Well you haven't killed each other just yet have you?
00:21I mean you've got to 60 years so I think we, you know, the going's good.
00:24There's chance.
00:25There's chance.
00:26I love my little grey haired chick.
00:30That's it mate, the nickname's out now, that's it.
00:34That's the other thing.
00:36So you guys, we're in Albrighton but Jean, you were a pen girl?
00:41Yes, I was a pen girl.
00:42And what about you Ray?
00:43I was born and lived in Cotswold.
00:46Ah yeah, cool. And how did you meet then, back in the day?
00:50Down the Milano, there was a coffee bar.
00:53Where was that?
00:54In Darlington Street.
00:55In Milano, okay.
00:56Just below Waterloo Road, where the gas office is.
01:01On the corner.
01:02And all the young people used to congregate there.
01:06And at the Queen's Dance as well, in Dudley Street.
01:10The Queen's Ballroom.
01:11Yeah, the Queen's Ballroom.
01:12Potter and the Pottermouth.
01:14Cool. So go on then, who saw Ray first?
01:17We were 17.
01:20You were 17?
01:22I was 17 and Ray was 19.
01:25And I said to him, when are you going to take me out?
01:28Because you were a shy girl of course.
01:30I wasn't, very far from it.
01:33That was the 3rd of January, 1990.
01:37Ah, okay.
01:39And we went to see...
01:40Not 1990.
01:411960.
01:43Yeah.
01:441960, sorry, beg your pardon.
01:46And we went to see...
01:48Chris Barber's Jazz Band in Dudley.
01:51Yeah, okay.
01:53So that was your first date?
01:55Yes, I think it was.
01:56She was 18 that day.
01:58She was very quick to tell me, I'm 18.
02:01And was that when you missed the bus?
02:03I missed the bus home to Cotswold.
02:04Had to walk all the way home.
02:05I was a proper gentleman, I got onto the bus home.
02:09And where did you have to walk from Dudley to Cotswold?
02:11To Cotswold.
02:12That's a fair old trick, isn't it?
02:14But I got a bike halfway.
02:15From Wolverhampton to Cotswold.
02:18Yeah.
02:19He nipped me on the pen bus in Queen Square.
02:22Yeah.
02:23And I didn't see her for a few weeks after that.
02:26But you were playing it cool.
02:28She called me again because her dad worked at the ECC and it was a works dance.
02:34Ah, okay.
02:35And she wanted somebody to go with her, so she asked me.
02:37Yeah.
02:38And from then on it was continuous.
02:40Ah, that's nice.
02:41So you knew then.
02:42So that's when love started to blossom.
02:44She grew on me.
02:45She grew on you.
02:46She grew on you.
02:47So you were married at Penn Church, St. Bart's.
02:50Yes, St. Bartholomew's.
02:52Lovely church, isn't it?
02:53Lovely church, yes.
02:54And you're hoping, not necessarily today, you've had to slightly amend plans,
02:58but you're hoping to get back over there, aren't you?
03:00And have a little look around.
03:01Yes.
03:02A bit of reminiscing.
03:03Yeah.
03:04Cool.
03:05And, go on then, so have you got children?
03:07Three boys.
03:08Three boys.
03:09Three lads, okay.
03:10I wouldn't like a girl to save our life.
03:11Yeah.
03:12But we've got three lovely daughter-in-laws.
03:14Yeah.
03:15Julie.
03:16We're very blessed.
03:17Rona and Sarah.
03:18And where do the lads live?
03:19Are they all local?
03:20Mark lives in Cotswold.
03:21Yep.
03:22Gary's just moved to Albrighton a couple of weeks ago from Tetnell.
03:26Okay, yeah.
03:27And Robert, the young one, lives in Dubai.
03:29Dubai, yeah.
03:30So he's come over as a little...
03:32Yes.
03:33Oh, lovely.
03:34He comes over every summer.
03:35Once a year.
03:36Yeah, yeah.
03:37He's come for the school holidays.
03:38So you've got the grandkids as well.
03:39Yeah.
03:40Ah, fantastic.
03:41And Little Bird tells me you and him, you're both Wolves fans still, aren't you?
03:45We are.
03:46Very much so.
03:47Good stuff.
03:48We won't mention the game the other night anyway.
03:49We'll move on from that.
03:50I never go to see them.
03:51Yeah.
03:52They don't come to see me when I'm bad.
03:54I like that.
03:56I like that, Jean.
03:58So what's the secret then, you know, to get to 60 years?
04:02Marriage.
04:03Don't have Rose.
04:04Don't have Rose, no.
04:05Let it go over your head.
04:06Yeah.
04:07We didn't rush into marriage.
04:08We were courting for, what, four and a half years?
04:10Yeah.
04:11Yeah.
04:12And it turned out most of the things that we liked, we both liked them.
04:17So it was quite easy going.
04:20Yeah.
04:21And her family were lovely.
04:23Yeah.
04:24Her mum and dad were very good.
04:25Very supportive, supportive families.
04:27Yeah.
04:28And his dad gave her, his mum and dad were lovely as well.
04:31His dad gave us a piece of his garden.
04:34Yeah.
04:35Which was a plot.
04:37Yeah.
04:39A garden.
04:40A garden, you know, a vegetable patch.
04:42And he gave us his garden.
04:43We had a lovely two-bedroom bungalow built.
04:46Oh, wow.
04:47Where was that then?
04:48That was Cotswolds.
04:49Yeah.
04:50Okay, yeah, yeah.
04:51And then we were having a second baby.
04:53Yeah.
04:54It was only two bedrooms, so we had a room built in the roof.
04:58Oh, wow.
04:59So a proper staircase.
05:00Yeah.
05:01And it was another lad.
05:02Yeah.
05:03So what, did you manage to get yourself a honeymoon when you got wed?
05:07Oh, yes.
05:08We went to Jersey.
05:09Jersey.
05:10Okay, nice.
05:11And favourite places over the years where you've holidayed?
05:14You got a favourite spot?
05:16Beijing.
05:17Yeah.
05:18Yeah.
05:19Oh, wow.
05:20So you've been to a few places over the years?
05:21We've been all round the world.
05:22Cape Town and South Africa.
05:23Oh, wow.
05:24Because her friend from school in Sedgwick went to live in Durban.
05:29Yeah.
05:30And we went about ten times, I think, to stay with them.
05:32Yeah.
05:33So quite an adventurous couple then when it comes to the travelling.
05:36Been to America three or four times.
05:38Yeah.
05:39The only places we haven't been to is...
05:40South America a bit.
05:41Oh, Canada and Japan.
05:44Yeah.
05:45We did book to go to Japan, but they had an earthquake, so it was cancelled.
05:49Yeah.
05:50But we like the cruises, really.
05:51Yeah.
05:52You know, you don't have to unpack.
05:53Yeah.
05:54And then, of course, it was free holidays when the lad moved to Dubai.
05:57Did he?
05:58Yeah.
05:59Been in the airline business.
06:00He looked after me, yeah.
06:01Oh, that's good.
06:02That's not bad.
06:03That's not bad.
06:04Very good.
06:05Well, you have an argument.
06:06Keep life exciting.
06:07Plenty of interesting holidays.
06:10I've always shared the housework with her.
06:14Yeah.
06:15Yeah.
06:16Pulled you away.
06:17Yeah.
06:18Pulled me away.
06:19Well, where did you spend most of your working days then?
06:20What were you doing?
06:21Well, I spent 16 years in local government.
06:24Was it 16?
06:2515?
06:26No, 11 years in local government.
06:27Yeah.
06:28Two years at Brittle in Wolverhampton and 25 years with Heinz.
06:34Okay.
06:35Beans.
06:36Beans.
06:37Okay, yeah.
06:38What were you doing in local government?
06:39What was that role?
06:40In weights and measures.
06:41Okay, yeah, yeah.
06:42And what about you, Jean?
06:43What did you?
06:44I've been a PA, short-hand type is PA, all my life.
06:49Yeah.
06:50And my last job was dental services in Parkfields Road.
06:55Okay, yeah, yeah.
06:56I used to work at the town hall.
06:57Yeah.
06:58And worked for the town clerk secretary.
07:00Oh, wow.
07:01And the police.
07:02You worked in the police.
07:03I worked in the police.
07:04I worked in the police.
07:05I worked in revenue.
07:06Yeah.
07:07In revenue.
07:08Yeah.
07:09And I finished up with dental services, which I liked.
07:10Cool.
07:11And how are you marking the occasion then?
07:13So you're going to have a venture over to St Bart's again at Penn.
07:17Absolutely.
07:18Any other plans to mark the anniversary?
07:19We're off tonight to the Shrewsbury Arms.
07:21Yeah.
07:22About 18 to 20 of us.
07:24Oh, wow, okay.
07:25Purely family.
07:26Yeah.
07:27And we're going to celebrate it that way.
07:30Well, we wish you all the best and hope you have a fantastic night this evening.
07:34We will.
07:35We will.
07:36And to celebrate our day, we've had a beautiful card of the King and Queen.
07:41That's nice, isn't it?
07:42Yeah, go on, Jane.
07:43Here we go.
07:44Let's have a look.
07:45So it's really touching.
07:47Of Charles and Camilla.
07:49That's nice, isn't it?
07:50It's very nice inside as well.
07:52They've signed it, so.
07:53Ooh, let's have a look.
07:55Look at that.
07:57And they'll be popping over to the Shrewsbury Arms for a drink when you're about nine.
08:00Yeah.
08:01As I've heard.
08:02Let our hair down.
08:03Yeah.
08:04Well, thank you for inviting the Express and Star over, guys.
08:06Oh, you're welcome.
08:07And we wish you all the best and many more years' happiness together.
08:10Thank you very much.