PROLOGUE – Wednesday 29th July 2015
Summer, 2015, how the time passes by so swiftly. Fifty years ago on 7th August, 1965, I married Katherine Pentreath, yes, fifty years ago! We had met a few years earlier at a Kenny Ball concert at the Locarno Ballroom in Coventry. The city was a great place in the sixties, employment was healthy, lots of large manufacturing firms – textiles (Courtaulds, Cashes), motor cars (Triumph, Jaguar, Morris, Rootes), motor cycles (Triumph), tractors (Massey Ferguson), aeroplanes (Hawker Siddeley, BTH), machine tools (Alfred Herberts, Wickmans), car parts (Dunlop), electronics (GEC), tanks (Alvis), the list goes on and on. Large manufacturing firms in those days meant lots of apprenticeships as well as wonderful sports and social clubs – sporting and social facilities were excellent throughout the city.
I was employed as a Laboratory Technician at Courtaulds and studying Physics one day and two nights a week at Coventry Technical College. Kath was employed in the Personnel Department at Rootes Motors.
The city centre boasted one of the largest theatres in the midlands – Coventry Hippodrome – just about every big star in every decade since the war appeared there. There were also about 20 cinemas throughout the city.
Over at Highfield Road, a certain Mr Jimmy Hill, was revitalising Coventry City FC, renaming them the Sky Blues, as the team were climbing through the divisions of the football league, playing entertaining football with the club invigorating the city with innovation after innovation. The ‘Sky Blue Special’ chartered train took singing fans and the team to away matches.
The population of the city seemed to be a massive team, everyone working together in peace and harmony – a place that was just buzzing with excitement. Within this heady atmosphere, Kath and myself enjoyed life with friends – coventry eighteen plus group, socialising, partying, dancing, pubbing, walking, caving, canoeing, touring, camping, football.
By the summer of 1965, the sky blues had just consolidated their first year in Division 2 (and were to win promotion to the top division the following season). The Beatles were top of the hit parade with “Help”, the “Sound of Music” was the top grossing film and Harold Wilson was Prime Minister.
Then we reach 7th August 1965. We were married at Lime Tree Park methodist church in Tile Hill and sojourned to Allesley Village Hall for a great reception and party.
I seem to remember we organised outside caterers for luncheon then various family members organised some form of buffet tea, a free bar was set up with a paid barman (he lasted one hour then his inebriation turned the bar into self service!), some jazz musicians turned up and as this was settling into the best family party for years, Kath and myself drove off into the afternoon sunshine in our little red bubble car. The family enjoyed a great party as we ran out of petrol in Bath!
The years go by, I manage to develop some kind of varied career, as we change jobs, houses, and our lives. We have probably gone through about 25 cars (some rubbish when I bought them, others wrecks when I sold them), about 10 living places as we moved between flats and houses in Kenilworth, Coventry, Liverpool then back to Kenilworth, Coventry, Meriden, then Coventry again before finally settling in Southport.
There were great milestones over the years: 1974 – Samantha arrived on 17th October; 1977 – Elizabeth arrived on 9th February; 1982 – Charlie arrived on 3rd February. Life changing events which have brought us so much pride and joy over the years. Watching children grow up is awesome – school events, camping holidays, christmas time, birthdays, gaining qualifications – all generate so many happy memories. The way they lead their lives with their partners, the kind of people they have become, their knowledge, the way they use technology, is inspirational.
Two more milestone years: 1984 – massive decision to leave Coventry for Southport and start a new career in Knowsley and then on 17 May 1987, the glorious sky blues win the FA Cup on a momentous summer day.
Then early 2015 – the greatest milestone – we were at the Linda McCartney Centre in Liverpool and the wonderful Dr O’Reilly carried out another routine examination, then said “Mrs Thomas, you are cleared, discharged, we do not want to see you again”. So ended three years of operations, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and lots of appointments. With a spring in our step we rushed to the iconic Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool for afternoon tea and suitable bubbly refreshment. Sadly, Brittania Inns the current owners have reduced staff so much, they were not offering afternoon tea today!
How do we celebrate 50 years of marriage? I do not want any fuss or surprise parties (miserable git!), Kath wants to do something special, the girls insist on a memorable celebration. So it was decided we would go on a cruise – to Iceland – sailing from Liverpool, we could celebrate our anniversary at sea.
So Thursday 30th July 2015, Kath and myself, Sam and Dave, Liz and Paul, leave the pier head in Liverpool and sail up the Mersey into Liverpool Bay – six sailing to Iceland aboard the M/V Azores cruise ship.
to be continued ………..
Six Sail to Iceland 