Couple, aged 89 and 82, prove you’re never too old to find love
Nichol and Ivy tie the knot
THEY say you are never too old to find love.
Bob Nichol, 89, and his now wife Ivy Worster, 82, are living proof of that old adage after tying the knot having found love unexpectedly.
The pair were brought together by fate on a Fred Olsen cruise ship to Tenerife in 2019.
But finding love was the furthest thing from Ivy’s mind as she was on the voyage to scatter her late husband’s ashes.
A chance meeting in a corridor on board the liner changed everything for them both, though, with Bob immediately drawn to Ivy before he set about his ‘chase’ – ultimately resulting in their wedding at St Cuthbert’s Church in Baffins on Saturday.
Speaking of the first moment he laid eyes on Ivy, Bob said: ‘We were both going down the corridor on the boat when I saw her. We then chatted and I ended up chasing her after that.’
Ivy added: ‘We just gelled – it was brilliant. We then all met with friends in the evening. It was lovely.’
Finding Ivy also had an incredible healing effect on Bob’s health. ‘I had a hip operation and had to walk with a walking stick on the cruise. But by the time I left I didn’t need it,’ he said.
As well as his determination, Bob’s chivalry was also key to winning over Ivy by tending to her as she fell ill on the cruise.
‘We had a good time up until I was poorly. But Bob was lovely to me,’ Ivy said.
The couple, who now live in Hilsea together, were thrilled with their wedding day that saw about 30 relatives and friends attend the uplifting service.
Ivy said: ‘It has been lovely. We’ve been together for twoand-a-half years.
‘Bob was chasing me for a long time but it’s brilliant we’re now married and have found happiness.
‘We’re looking forward to the next 15 years together.’
The remarkable union between the couple even led to vicar Allie Kerr having to pause while holding back tears as she delivered her service.
She described how Bob’s ‘night and day’ care for Ivy on the cruise was ‘special’ and showed ‘how beautiful your love is’.
The vicar, speaking of their relationship, added: ‘This unexpected love has given you both a new lease of life. Bob walked onto that cruise ship with a walking stick but he skipped off it.
‘It really is miraculous.’
Friend Moira
Barber, who attends St Aidan’s Church in Anchorage Park, where the newlyweds visit every Sunday, said: ‘It’s a wonderful story that puts a smile on everyone’s faces.’
Bob and Ivy are now set for a honeymoon on Hayling Island this week.