How did you decide to get married?

Well there's a good question... and like all good questions there isn't an easy or quick and simple answer! So... when I came to Canada in 1969 it was with the firm belief that I was travelling, off to see another part of the world and would be going back to the UK. To that end Ann( whom I was travelling with) and I purchased our tickets for a passage back to England, from Canada, leaving Vancouver in February of 1970. These we booked quite early on in our stay in Vancouver.

We would be travelling on the P&O vessel, the ' Oriana' and would sail down the west coast of the US calling at San Francisco and Los Angeles and from there on to Acapulco, Panama City, traversing the Panama Canal to Cristobal. Onwards to Curacao, Trinidad, Barbados, St Thomas and across the Altantic to Lisbon in Portugal, finally reaching Southampton towards the end of March. We decided that we would not share our plans early on in our stay in Vancouver as it does seem to change friendships when someone is seen to be to be 'in transit'.

We had a great year, did a lot and made lots of friends and around Christmas time decided that we should let people know of our plans...... Back track here..... I had met Jim in August ( that's another story...) and in the months leading up to Christmas we had 'dated', but nothing was further from my mind than a serious committment. Ann & I went off up to Banff skiiing after Christmas and stayed with friends in Invermere over New Year.

I do remember that JIm met us off the train on our return and we started seeing more of each other. He took me out to dinner one evening at a rather fancy restaurant which was trendy at the time, on Denman Street in the West End, 'The Three Greenhorns' and after, in the car, in the Parkade, I think said he didn't want me to leave and would I marry him....( you may want to confirm with him but that it is how I recall it!!) I have to say it was a bit of a shock..... the last thing I had in mind at that time was getting married!

Anyways it was all a bit of a rush, and after thinking about it for a few days ( and sleepless nights) I guess we decided that, yes, it was a good idea. BUT, what to do about my trip? well being me I wasn't about to give it up!!!! so we decided that Jim would join me in England about three weeks after I got back and that we would get married in April,'honeymoon' and then come back to Canada. So off I sailed into the sunset (literally) went back to the UK and planned our wedding.

Everyone was excited for us, but I do think they thought the rush a bit unseemly... anyways here we are nearly 45 years on, decision made, in haste, and the rest is history.