+ ISSUE NO. 6,818 YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE The Clitheroe vertiser 1^ I


byFatzaAfzaal feiza.afeaal@jpress.coik... -Twitfin@clifeactortiser'';;


It’samilestonefewcouples . hit, but Mrand Mrs Donald and Irene May Whatmough celebrated 70 happy years of marriage on New Year’s Day.


clubsfbryoungpeopletogoto in those days, so us hoys and


. girls used to go to the cinema, village dances or to the Christ­ mas parties,!and that is how we met.” "• 1 • .. Their relationship flour­


ished and they married on New Year’s Day in 1944, at St


The devoted Whalley cou­ ple’s journey began after they shared a kiss under the mistle­ toe more than seven decades ago. Yesterday (Wednesday) __v


• tions of family, and close friends to mark their


. Platinum wed- : ding anniversary:; Recalling the .


•Thomas’ Church, in Newhey, near Rochdale, where they lived at the time. Irene was 21 and Donald 19. As money was tight, the couple’s honeymoon was a.


„ „ „ «


the couple were surrounded - trip to the local cinema ac by five genera


‘We’re so hap­ py. What more could we want out of life?’


momentshefirst clapped eyes onDonald (89), Irene (91) said: “IwaspartofaSimdaySchool procession and saw Donald . riding his bike. I whispered to


■ my cousin ‘he’s a handsome lad, he will make someone a nice husbandoneday’.” Little did Irene know that that someone would be her.


’ - A few months later, the couple saw each other again at a Christmas party and shared a kiss under the mistletoe. Donald said: “There were no.


companied by their best man to- watch Bing Cros­ by’s film “Going My Way”. . “We h a d


. . . twelve and six­


pence between us and we had to pay double registrar’s fee because we married on New Year’s Day,” said Donald. “Our ■ families had saved flour and. sugar for weeks to bake cakes for the guests and as I was servingintheRoyalNavylwas abletobringlotsoffancyfood from all over the world.” :


. He added: “The atmos- phere on om: wedding day wais absolutely fantastic and there was a tremendous buffet, but we couldn’t afford a honey-


moon. Instead, we decided to go to the cinema and my best man came along with us!” - -Getting married in those days was not as simple as say-


ing “I do” and due to the af­ termath of the Second World


. War; it was hard to get a foot onto the property ladder. Af­ ter leaving the Navy, Donald


-worked as a purchasing man­ ager in engineering iii vari­ ous different firms and their first house was a little cottage in Newhey. However, due to


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Donald’s job, their journey led them to the Ribble Valley in 1962. “It was wonderful for Irene to return to Whalley be­ cause she was born here, but it was upsetting forme at the time because I had lived in Ne­ whey for so long.” Donald took early retire­


ment in 1987 after working nine years at Emerson and Renwick Ltd in Church, Ac­ crington. Since then the cou­ ple have enjoyed spending time with their children - Beryl Taylor and Kevin What­ mough, 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. Sadly, their other son, Alan, died eight years ago having suf­ fered a heart attack. Yesterday, all family, and


friends gathered at The Bayley Arms Hotel, in Hurst Green, to celebrate the landmark an­ niversary.


■ ...


Now in the their nineties, the couple’s love hasn’t faded


• and the platinum wedding an­ niversary is something that only lucky couple’s experi­ ence. “We’re so happy. What more could we want out of life? I always wanted a nice husband: home, children, grandchildren - 1 have it all and more,” said Irene,


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