This day 45 years ago, I was a blushing bride [well sort of blushing]. As far as I was concerned I was all grown up at the grand old age of 21, the world was my oyster and I could achieve anything.

It was a cold but sunny day - bit like today actually - and I was very nervous. I'd made my own dress and was hoping upon hope it didn't look like it. We'd invited our friends and family to the do - well mostly the neighbours, and friends of the parents. Our friends were up in London and we were down here in Devon. In 1969 it wasn't all that easy to travel around the UK - okay we could go by train and bus, because we couldn't afford our own transport, but it was quite costly. None of this modern day interest free loans in those days.

I remember we'd chosen the introduction music Trumpet Voluntary and I knew exactly when I was going to start entering the church. Dad and I stood there in the doorway just waiting for the right chord to sound, when the Vicar came up to us and immediately turned round and started to walk down the aisle. I tried to stop him saying that it wasn't the right time, but he either didn't hear me or totally ignored me. When I arrived at the altar and stood next to my husband-to-be, Martin - I apologised for getting there too early, he just smiled and said that it meant I would be standing next to him for a longer time which he was more than happy to do. Aww sweet.

Martin has decided he wanted to tape the whole proceedings but not with a camera - but a twin reel tape recorder. Do you remember those - a GRUNDIG? Heavy things but they did their job. He put the microphone near the altar where we were standing, but hadn't realised that the vicar would be standing nearer it. Over the tape we can hear him rustling with a sweet paper, blowing his nose and a strange sound etc. Great fun eh?

After the service, we emerged into the sunlight - Mr & Mrs Jones. I know Jones is a very common name, but I'd come from Williams - which is nearly as common. I didn't think about genealogy at the time and how frustrating it was going to be to trace ancestors.

This picture is of our family at that time. L to R. My grandmother, my new mother-in-law, my dad, Martin, Me, my Mum, my bridesmaid, my brother, the best man, my new father-in-law and finally Martin's grandmother.

My grandmother on the left here, and Martin's grandmother on the right were our only grandparents alive. My brother was a sweet 15.

My bridesmaid was a friend I'd met when I went to Art College and we've remained friends ever since.

Me with my family. My mum hated wearing hats but she actually wore one for me. I suppose in those days you had to wear hats - it was the thing one did at the time.



Well we had two wonderful children from this marriage, and you know these two. They loved going to the beach....



Then we had to move from Devon to London because of his work, and it was unfortunate that within a year we separated........



This picture was taken just a few months before we parted, and it was such an awful shame.......


This was taken just after we separated and so we were entering a new phase of our lives. I was now a single parent.

It would be 5 years before we saw Martin again [his new lady-friend didn't want any contact between us.]

At last that day arrived when Martin wanted to get in touch with the children again....


It was so lovely seeing the three together again after so long, and it was on the strict understanding that he would see them regularly or at least be in contact with them on a regular basis. It was hard at first trying to behave in a friendly manner for the sake of the children, but we were good friends before we got married, so we both hung onto that friendship and before long it became easy to be in each other's company....


So much so that the children grew up knowing that their parents loved them unconditionally and in a funny way each other too. We became better friends after a while, to the point that when he was alone and in need of somewhere to stay, he came and lived with us for 2 years in the spare room. It may have seemed strange to friends, but it was fine - we used to do the crosswords etc and he re-ignited my passion for photography. I really quite missed him when he left to go and care for his mother......



I used to give parties for the kids' birthdays and I think this was Mandi's 19th but I may be wrong. I love this picture of us all, and I do often wonder what would have happened if we'd stayed together..

As I said our marriage didn't last too long, but we remained very good friends until his death 5 years ago. I miss him a lot - we were best of friends but we both grew apart as different people.

I just remembered the date today and realised that it was 45 years ago - how time flies and how things have changed. Don't regret a minute, just wish we'd tried harder to stay together though, but..... hindsight is a wonderful thing.