Harrogate wedding couple's anniversary beats lockdown

If Pauline Summersall, a founder member of Woodlands Drama Group, and her husband Norman, a well-known local cricketer in his younger days, had tied the knot just a week later in 1960, they would been unable to mark their important anniversary in the style it deserved.

The couple were planning to join up with their three children and seven grandchildren when the Prime Minister first announced the Government was moving into the ‘delay’ phase of the coronavirus action plan.

Fortunately, the celebrations they had planned earlier this month to mark their diamond anniversary fell just on the right side of Boris Johnson's announcement of social distancing and self isolation to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The couple first met at the fair in Harrogate in 1956 aged 17 and 19.

After Norman had completed his National Service in the armed forces, they were married at St Luke's Church on Franklin Square on Saturday, March 12, 1960 with a wedding reception at Bettys tea rooms.

Pauline was a shorthand typist with the Air Ministry now Ministry of Defence based at Harlow Manor.

As well as working as a representative for JCB earth moving machinery company, Norman was a local cricketer and played for Ripley, Bilton, Killinghall, Knaresborough and Undercliffe in the Bradford league.

Pauline was a founder member of Woodlands Drama Group and has gone on to appear in many productions since 1969 when the group was founded.

The couple's honeymoon six decades ago was spent in Colwyn Bay in Wales.

In the years that followed, they have been lucky enough to travel further afield, spending their silver wedding anniversary in Capetown in South Africa and golden wedding in Beunos Aries in Argentina.

They have been to America many times and once spent almost a year on the island of Barbados.

Pauline and Norman have three sons; Kevin, Mark and James who went to Harrogate Grammar School.

They now live at Hookstone Drive, Harrogate where they have lived for almost 45 years, having previously lived on St Hilda's Road.

They enjoyed two diamond wedding celebrations with family members before the lockdown, including a return to Bettys for afternoon tea and a family lunch at The Bridge Hotel and Spa at Walshford.

Pauline said: "We managed to celebrate with our family but it was touch and go as to whether it went ahead.

"The hotel was quiet and we had a wonderful day little knowing what was to come! We are so very lucky to have a lovely family."

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