Lovebirds finally say ‘I do’ after courting for 44 years
TWO sweethearts who waited 44 years to tie the knot have finally walked down the aisle.
Colin Dunn and Sally Smith met in 1972 when she worked behind the bar of the social club he visited every weekend.
But it was more than four decades before Colin, now 84, finally asked 82-year-old Sally to marry him.
The couple celebrated their big day with more than 100 friends and relatives and a reception at Middleton Social Club in Leeds where they first met.
Retired lorry driver Colin said: “Sally used to serve me every weekend when I’d go in after work. We got chatting and she got used to me going in. Eventually I asked her out.”
They had both been married before and when they moved in together Sally had four children, the youngest aged just four.
Colin said: “Marriage never entered my head at that point. We were always so busy looking after the children or going on holiday to Blackpool.
“All of a sudden the children were growing up and leaving home. We thought it was finally time but we kept saying, ‘It’ll be next year’.”
Finally, after four children, 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, the pair became engaged last year.
Colin said: “Just before last Christmas I lost my brother Harold and shortly before that I lost my eldest brother too.
“We were going through a bit of trouble and we started thinking what if this happened to one of us? We decided we wanted to be man and wife.”
They tied the knot at St Mary’s Church in Middleton on Saturday.
Sally said: “It was worth the wait. The day was lovely but the highlight for me was actually getting married.”
Colin says he loves his bride just as much as when he first fell in love with her.
He added: “If you work at a relationship you can keep it going. She has always looked after me and I’ve always looked after her.
“We’ve had little fall outs over the years but we have the same views and always agree. We have always been happy.”