Romance began for Grantham couple with a date at the Granada
Diamond Wedding Anniversary - Brenda and Derek Young. 056D
A young man went to the cinema to see the same film twice in just a few hours.
But it wasn’t the film Derek Young was keen on, but the attractive young girl who accompanied him on the second visit to the Granada in Grantham.
Derek had been introduced to Brenda Watson by his bother’s girlfriend when the two girls ran into Derek in town.
A joint date was arranged, and although the name of the film is now lost from memory, the seeds of romance were sown.
Derek and Brenda were married after a year-long engagement at the Congregational Church in Grantham on March 21, 1953.
Derek, 82, and 79-year-old wife Brenda will celebrate their diamond wedding with a party at their home in Brittain Drive, Grantham, attended by family including son Colin, daughter Diane, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
The couple had both been working at the giant Aveling Barford engineering works in Grantham when they met, although neither knew of the connection.
After the couple married Brenda stayed at home to raise the children, and later also worked for Barfords of Belton.
Derek continued with Aveling Barford until he took redundancy in 1980 and switched to South East Lincs Engineering, from where he retired aged 65.
Brenda, born one of six girls and with three brothers, was born in Hull and evacuated with her sister to Market Deeping when the city became a bombing target in the war.
Her parents Elsie and George Watson moved to Grantham, where George became a Co-op milkman.
Derek was born in Martson, the son of Violet and Bill, a farm worker.
Brenda had a stroke six years ago and has had two knee and one hip replacements, but remains spritely and takes great delight in the family, pictures of whom fill the house.
Derek played bowls at Aveling Barford and enjoyed doing decorating jobs for friends and family after he retired.
Now he stays active by walking the couple’s pet dog three times a day.
Brenda said: “Of course we have had arguments from time to time, but we have soon got over them. We have made it work with give and take and are very family orientated.”
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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