Golden celebrations for Morecambe couple

A Morecambe couple are marking 50 years of happy marriage this weekend.
Jackie and David Nightingale.Jackie and David Nightingale.
Jackie and David Nightingale.

Jackie and David Nightingale celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary on August 7.

There have been plenty of ups and downs over the years, but the couple say "it's all down to teamwork" that their marriage works so well.

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And Jackie added: "I think I love him more now than I did when we got married."

Jackie and David on their wedding day.Jackie and David on their wedding day.
Jackie and David on their wedding day.

The pair met at the Tivoli bar on Morecambe prom when Jackie was just 15 and David was 16.

David had grown up in Blackburn and had only moved to Morecambe the previous year, to work on a building site in Bare.

Jackie, meanwhile, grew up in the area, going to Our Lady's Catholic College.

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Three years later, on August 7 1971, they were married at Lancaster Register Office, when Jackie was 18 and David a year older.

The wedding was followed by a small party at the York Hotel, and later they also had a service at St Mary's Catholic Church in Morecambe.

David said: "When we got married I had £25 and so we went to Blackpool; we could only afford three days."

The couple then visited Cleator Moor for a short break, where Jackie's parents were originally from.

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After the wedding, Jackie and David lived with Jackie's parents until after their daughter Andrea was born in 1972, when they bought a house in Croft Street.

David has had several varied jobs over the years - from working as a bricklayer while also working part-time at the County Garage, to jobs at Storey's, the power station and Nairns. He later worked night shifts at Asda before retiring.

In recent years the pair have both had to overcome illnesses, but their bond has remained as strong as ever.

David, now 69, suffered a stroke in 2015, while Jackie was taken ill while visiting her sister in Spain in 1996, picking up an airborne virus which caused septicaemia.

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She spent a month in hospital in Spain, much of it in an induced coma, before being brought home to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

There, her family had to break the news to her that surgeons in Spain had been forced to amputate her left leg above the knee.

She also lost the tips of seven fingers and half of her right foot.

But Jackie didn't let the incident define her life, and has continued to be a keen crafter.

"I just feel very lucky to be here," the 68-year-old said.

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The couple now enjoy spending time with their family, including identical twin grandsons Ethan and Aidan, who will turn 18 next month.

The pair, who live in Charles Street in Morecambe, also attend the Neuro Drop-In Centre activities.

"It's been a lifeline for us," Jackie said.

The couple will be celebrating their anniversary with a small family gathering at The Midland Hotel.

The pair's daughter Andrea added: "It's something to be proud of, getting to 50 years."