Bourne Laundry meeting leads to diamond anniversary for couple after Thurlby wedding
A romance born in the laundry reached a diamond landmark last week as John and Linda Wass celebrated 60 years of marriage.
Covid restrictions limited them to a small family gathering to celebrate their diamond anniversary, having marked 50 years of wedded life with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the United States and Canada.
The couple met in their teens while working at Bourne Hygienic Laundry.
"I think John's mate told him there's a girl in the laundry you should meet so he asked me out," said Linda.
"I did debate a bit over whether to, but in the end I decided to go out with him."
After a first date at Bourne Picturehouse, it was on another trip to the flicks 18 months later, that John, from Morton, proposed to Linda, who was living in Northorpe.
"It was a long way to bike every night to see her so I thought I better ask her to marry me," joked John.
After an eight-month engagement the pair were married on July 22, 1961 at St Firmin's Church, in Thurlby.
Linda followed the bride's time-honoured custom of arriving late, but John insisted there were no nerves during the half-hour wait.
"I thought she would turn up in the end," he said.
Linda added: "It was a bit hectic because I had six bridesmaids and only one car to get them all down to the church."
The couple had their wedding reception at Thurlby Church Hall, but decided against a honeymoon, instead putting their savings towards buying their first home in Bourne, on Austerby.
They would call it home for 13 years, bringing daughter Patricia (58) into the world, before moving across town to their St Gilbert's Road home where they remain 47 years later.
Linda went on to work at a local plant nursery and on the land before a 20-year stint at Digby Court Care Home until her retirement four years ago.
But John stayed at the laundry through to retirement, moving from van driver onto factory manager and then stores manager.
The couple, who have two grandsons, share an interest in dancing and musical theatre, as well as organ music.
They have been running monthly organ concerts at the Corn Exchange for the last six years and attend festivals all over the country, while John was organist at the baptist chapel in Morton for more than 40 years from the age of 12.
John and Linda have become so in tune with one another they bought each other the same wedding anniversary card, but perhaps the day's most special greeting came via a card from the Queen.
"You have to give and take," said Linda.
"If John has an interest that I'm not interested in, you have got to support them in it."