Bride and joy as antique gown is found
WHEN a dry cleaners lost Tess Newall’s wedding dress, her dream of handing it down to her daughter was extinguished.
At nearly 150 years old it was no ordinary gown, having been hand-made and passed down from her great-great grandmother to feature as the ‘something borrowed’ across the generations.
And when her Facebook appeal was shared 300,000 times, users across the world united and resolved to keep an eye out for it in flea markets and shops.
However, they needn’t have looked too far as the dress was found in a ‘crumpled heap’ at the same Edinburgh dry cleaners she had entrusted to look after it. Mrs Newall feared the dress had been sold after Kleen Cleaners went into administration but the priceless heirloom will be reunited with its owner later today.
The 29-year-old, from Haddington, East Lothian, was married last June wearing the stunning antique dress made by her greatgreat grandmother, Dora, in 1870.
Making the announcement on Saturday an ‘over-the-moon’ Mrs Newall said: ‘We received a phone call from the very kind landlord of the shop property who read about it through this amazing response.
‘He checked what was left by the administrators Wylie & Bisset and found a crumpled heap of antique lace on the floor.
‘My mum and dad have just been let into the shop and to their amazement and joy it is our dress – still with our ticket.’
She thanked the thousands of Facebook users for ‘creating the frenzy’ that helped her find the dress.
My dream 150-year-old wedding dress was lost by Queen’s dry cleaners Saturday’s Daily Mail