Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Golden weddings
looks back at the stars who tied the knot in the summer sunshine
FOOTBALL legend Sir Bobby Charlton proved a winner off the pitch when he tied the knot with fashion model Norma Ball.
The Manchester United and England footballer married his 21-year-old bride at Middleton Junction, near Manchester, on July 28, 1961.
The couple met at an ice rink in Manchester in 1959, and Bobby and Norma, who have two daughters, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary next year.
Lady Norma joined her husband on the pitch as he made an emotional return to his old ground in 2016, when Old Trafford’s South Stand was officially renamed the Sir Bobby Charlton stand.
Liverpool-born radio presenter John Peel was a big football fan, and even wore a red suit in honour of his team Liverpool when he wed his second wife Sheila Gilhooly – who he affectionately called The Pig on his BBC radio show.
You’ll Never Walk Alone was played for the wedding march and the couple’s sheepdog Woggle served as bridesmaid. A reception was later held at London’s Regent’s Park following the wedding on August 31, 1974. Producer John Walter’s was John’s best man.
Monty Python’s Graham Chapman and singer Rod Stewart were among the wedding guests and John and Sheila remained together until he passed away in 2004 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday in Peru. Football even inspired the names of their children, they called them William Robert Anfield, Alexandra Mary Anfield, Thomas James Dalglish and Florence Victoria Shankly.
James Bond golden girl Shirley Eaton was just 21 when she married 27-year-old building contractor Colin Rowe.
The bride wore a white dress and a traditional veil as the couple tied the knot at St Mary’s in Middlesex on August 5, 1957.
They were together 37 years, until Colin’s death in 1994, and had two sons. Shirley went on to cause a storm with her memorable goldpainted appearance as doomed secretary Jill Masterton in 1964 Bond film Goldfinger, starring Sir Sean Connery as 007.
Her gilded form also made the front cover of Life Magazine the same year.
Carry On regular Bernard Bresslaw married dancer Betty Wright, before a 400-strong gathering at Caxton Hall in Westminster, on August 18, 1959.
The couple had to delay their honeymoon in Rome because of work commitments, but were eventually able to fly off from London Airport 10 days later.
They were together for 34 years until Bernard’s death from a heart attack in 1993 at the age of 59. The 6ft 7in tall comedy favourite and Betty had three sons together.
Caxton Hall was also the venue for the wedding of 19-year-old British actress Diana Dors to 26-year-old Dennis Hamilton on July 3, 1951. They met while Diana was filming Lady Godiva Rides Again. He sent her flowers every day and they married just five week after their first meeting.
Her parents did not approve of the match and did not attend the ceremony.
Diana forged their names on the forms granting her permission to marry.
The reception was held at Olivelli’s in Stone Street with the wedding guests paying for their own meals.
Diana, whose real name was Diana Mary Fluck, took the maiden name of her grandmother as her stage name and was known as Britain’s Marilyn Monroe. Diana and Dennis later separated and he passed away in 1959. Bedknobs And Broomsticks and Murder, She Wrote star Dame Angela Lansbury married fellow actor Peter Shaw in London on July 26, 1949. Peter later worked at the William Morris Talent Agency and represented Elvis Presley.
Angela was cast as Elvis’ mother in the film Blue Hawaii even though she was only 10 years older than the singer.
Peter and Angela met when film studio MGM asked him to accompany her at red carpet appearances and romance soon followed.
They had a son and a daughter together and were married until Peter’s death in 2003.
Angela, who is now 94 years old, once said: “I’ve had an incredible relationship with my husband, with my family. I know they’ve had problems of their own, but we have never wavered in our closeness as a family.”
There were few traditional thrills when British actor Albert Finney married his second wife, French actress Anouk Aimée, at Kensington Registry Office on August 7, 1970. There was no reception, honeymoon or even wedding ring and no best man. Albert said: “I’m not the romantic type. I’m a bit like the late, great Peter Sellers, only happy in character roles.” The relationship ended in 1978 when Anouk fell for Hollywood star and Love Story leading man Ryan O’Neal.