FAMILY ARCHIVES - My Parent's Wedding

When my mother died just on 13 years ago, I brought a few family photos back home with me, while my sister kept others. At Christmas time, my sister brought a CD of old family photos, kindly copied by her granddaughter Alyssa. Now Christmas was a busy time, and the CD became buried beneath one of my many piles of "things to be sorted and put away". The other day, I finally unearthed it, and loaded it onto my computer.

How thrilled I was to see once againall these photos of family who had gone before me!!!

There were a couple of photos of my parents' wedding in 1937. I love the Arum lilies my mother carried - she refused to be put off by people who said they were for funerals. She loved them and so do I! And my father's double breasted suit is most definitely designed to keep the chest warm!

My parents both lived on the Isle of Sheppey, which is in the Thames and Medway Estuaries in Kent. It is a marshy island, and large enough for about half a dozen towns and villages. They started "courting" when my mother was almost 21, and my father had just turned 16! Long before then, I am told, my father had a crush on this slim brunette beauty, and had to be content to admire her from afar. I can just imagine how he must have been looking on with longing the year my mother was crowned "Queen of the May."They were finally able to marry soon after my father turned 21.

Two of my mother's sisters were her attendants - Rose and Nell (Ellen). The other two are her niece Eileen and a cousin. My father's best man was his brother Ron.

Behind my mother is her father James Castle. I am not sure where her mother is, probably helping to get the food ready!

My father's parents (shown below)were not at the wedding. At the time they were living in Hong Kong, where my grandfather worked for the Hong Kong Dockyard.

Nana and Grandad Winch

I still have two newspaper accounts of the wedding.

I will quote from them:

"In the presence of a large congregation at the Bethel Church, Queenborough on Saturday, the marriage took place between Mr David Winch...and Miss Doris Castle.

The bride was becomingly attired in a white satin dress with train; headdress of pleated tulle, and lilies of the valley; and white satin shoes, her bouquet consisting of lilies.

(Two of the bridesmaids) wore pretty dresses of mauve silk;headdresses of gold entwined with violets, and silver shoes. (The other two) were attired in lemon-coloured silk dresses; gold headdresses with primroses intermingled, and gold shoes. They all carried bouquets of irises...they made a very pretty sight.

The mother of the bride was dressed in navy blue silk, with hat to tone.

The reception was held in the Bethel schoolroom, about 80 guests being present.

Over 100 gifts were received by the Bride and Groom, who were given an enthusiastic send-off. They left for their future home in Welling, in which town the bridegroom has been employed since leaving Sheppey. The bride travelled in an oatmeal coloured coat and hat to match."

Oh how I would love just the tiniest snippet of those violet and lemon silks!

Meanwhile, here is a picture of my parents dancing together at my sister's wedding, about 21 years later - still very much in love!

And Dad does not looked quite so "trussed up" in this suit, does he?