Dick and Chris celebrate with 'songs of the sixties'!

Post date: Sep 25, 2017 12:48:48 PM

Dick and Christine Ford celebrate their Golden Wedding with songs from vocalist Graham James

UFFINGTON-based bowlers Dick and Christine Ford re-lived their courtship with 1960s music to help celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary with family and friends at Stamford Indoor Bowls Club, where they are both members, writes Bob Warters.

Vocalist Graham James formerly a member of tribute bands Union Gap and The Fourmost, was on hand to take the pair down memory lane with a series of pop classics which they had danced to when they first met on holiday in Bridport in Dorset.

"It was a holiday romance," recalled Christine, one half of twin sisters " but because Dick was a motor cycle mechanic in Stamford and I worked at the Midland Bank head office in London we were only able to see each other every two weeks.

"This went on for three years before we finally married at Sanderstead in Surrey on September 23, 1967 a year to the day that we were able to celebrate 50 years of marriage," she added.

Later Dick worked as an engineer at Newage in Stamford, while Christine was chief cashier at Daltons Solicitors for 28 years.

Dick also retired after 21 years in the retained fire service and son Andrew followed in father's footsteps and is now national and county search and rescue Fire Service co-ordinator based in Lincolnshire. Their other son Ian is a police chief inspector with the Cambridgeshire force. They have four grandsons.

The pair are both keen bowlers and members of the Ketton outdoor club and the Stamford Indoor club where Christine is a director and a current double county champion.

Donations from family and friends helped raise £570 for the couple's favourite charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind.

FOOTNOTE: Graham James will be back performing at Stamford IBC on October 14 as part of the social committee's regular programme of popular music acts for dancing. Tickets are just £5, from reception and for a nominal additional price, hot food will be made available by our caterer.