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50 years married - and they said it wouldn't last!
A pair of Chorley ex-pats who married in secret half a century ago and were told it would never last have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
Ken and Jean Greenway applied for a special licence to marry on December 27, 1958, after courting for just four months.
Now, the pair, who left for Canada in 1960, are planning to return to the town as part of their anniversary celebrations.
Ken, who served in Egypt as part of the medical corps, and his bride, tied the knot after meeting over lunch at the Sharoe Green Hospital in Preston, where they both worked.
Describing their epic 50 years of marriage, Ken, formerly of Stump Lane, said: "I met Jean in the dining room at Sharoe Green when I sat at her table, which was not really allowed in those days as staff nurses were not supposed to associate with students let alone sit and eat at the same table.
"I left school at 14 and started at Hughlock and Hindle's as an apprentice mechanic. I was later the projectionist at the Royal Cinema, in Market Street, and worked briefly at Brigg's Chorley Laundry before being serving in the medical corps for 18 months. That led to the start of my nursing career.
"On my return from the army in 1951, I worked at Moorlands, at Eaves Lane Hospital, until training at Sharoe Green Hospital and becoming an SRN in 1958.
"When I met Jean we seemed to hit it off and our first date was The Ten Commandments at the Gaumont in Preston in August 1958. We decided to marry by a special licence as Jean was under 21 and I was moving to Sheffield to start a post graduate theatre course for 12 months.
"We were married on the morning of December 27, after I had finished my last night shift at the hospital, and it was a quiet ceremony and much to everyone's surprise including all of my family. My parents said 'it won't last'."
Ken and Jean set sail for Canada in 1960 when they had just 48 between them and Ken took up a post at Hamilton General Hospital and Jean, who had lived in Canada as a child, was employed as a nursing assistant.
Their first daughter was delivered by Ken at home in 1961 and they went on to have a second daughter and now have two grandsons who also live on Vancouver Island.
Ken added: "We have travelled a lot by land, sea and air and are classed as snowbirds because we spend the winter at our Florida home.
"As a celebration of our anniversary we are cruising from Florida to Italy in April, stopping at Portugal, Spain and Monaco. We hope to see family and friends during our trip and will be visiting Chorley from May 1 to May 8 before flying back to British Columbia."
The couple are now hoping that friends and former colleagues will get in touch so that they can meet up during their visit. If you would like to get in touch, contact Natalie Banks on 01257 264911 or email natalie.banks@lep.co.uk
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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