Mum and Ethel met a very famous singer who came to the Four on the Floor country music club.

This singer was a Canadian (Mum seems to have a thing about Canadians)

can you name this singer?

Mum became the treasurer of the Four on the Floor country music club.  The person who ran the club at that time was Tom Whelan.


They had their club running every Tuesday evening at the Earl Haig pub in Hounslow West.  the club started out very small and then started to grow, this is where Mum and Dad became very involved in Country Music.


Mum was presented with a gift from Tom for all of her hardwork.   

Mum

Mum enjoying a knees up with her family.
 

Mum was attending her sister Evelyn's wedding to Brian, the wedding took place in Charlton Village and the reception was held near Shepperton Studios.


Everybody enjoyed themselves, as you can see      

Mum and Dad on their wedding day -- this picture was taken in the grounds of the registery office in Ashford.  In those days the registery office was in the grounds of Ashford Hospital.


The day was very cloudy but this did not worry Mum and Dad they were happy to get married. 


All of Dad's family attended the wedding but unfortunately Mum's family were unable to attend the wedding, but Dad had asked permission before they got married and -permission was given by Grandad.  Dad had to ask permission because he was going to be sent to the Suez Canal crises, but the crises was quickly over and Dad did not have to go    

mum and dad meet.  Mum liked the look of Dad when she saw him and as previously stated she wanted to Marry him - not surprised he was a handsome young man.  On the 11th July they finally married.


Dad with his future brother in law Winston 

This is snapshot of a group photo of Mum outside the farm in Drumderg.

this was when Mum started to turn heads 

Mum at a very young age - a pity no-one knows where she was and what she was doing


Dad's just told me she was sitting in the front garden of Drumderg - he said he should know because he mowed the lawn enough times  

Joan moved to Helens Bay and began to work in a local shop.  It was from here that she saw a man and told a friend, "see that man walking up the street I'm going to Marry him"

At that time Joan was a having a lovely time, and she arranged to meet two men at the same time, at the same place - but at different doors to the store of Woolworths.  Joan was watching from a distance and said that whoever lasted the longest she would then go out with,  well the two young men started to talk and realised that they were both there to meet the same young lady - the other man decided he was not going to stay and walked away (Lucky for us), and it was Dave that had stayed and they had a lovely walk along the beach.  Janet and Hazel are very pleased that it was Dave that had stayed.

When Dave was taken home to meet the family Joan's Gran said that it would never last - but it lasted 57 years.
  
They were married at Ashford, Registry Office on the 11th July 1956, after this Dave was posted to Germany 

Joan was born to Emily and Tom in Co. Fermanagh on the 31st October 1934.  Joan was followed byJack, Evelyn, Freda, Winston and Jim.  Sadly a sister died called Hazel.
Joan grew up on a farm in the days when food was not too plentiful.  when a delivery of oranges proved too much of a temptation - one went missing - and although Joan denied taking the orange,the juice could be seen very clearly around her mouth, her Dad was not very happy and Joan made herself scarce.  A great hiding place they had as children was the orchard at the bottom of the farm.  Joan became very good at climbing trees -- as they all did, and waiting at the bottom of the tree was her Dad - to dish out the appropriate punishment for taking the orange and for not telling the truth,


this is a picture of Mum when she was four months old