On their Golden Wedding anniversary, Nell & David Adcock decided to revisit Low Wood Bay where they had spent their honeymoon. Looking through their original wedding mementos, they found the final bill for their 4-night stay at the Windermere hotel – £20.16! At the time they would never have made the connection between the price and the year of their 50th anniversary. To mark this special occasion, Low Wood Bay was delighted to honour the rate from 1966. Rea Howell, PA to the Low Wood Manager, shares their story.
David and Nell return to Low Wood Bay for their Golden Wedding. Meeting with Rea in the lounge[/caption]
We consider Low Wood our hotel. We honeymooned here then returned for our Silver, Ruby and now Golden Wedding Anniversary. It is special to us and we have been made so welcome by everyone, it will always be our Low Wood.
A Spark, and a Spring that led to a Ring
When Nell & David met at work in 1961, Nell was a shy 14 year old just out of school and David was an engineer called to fix an issue on her punch card machine, just two days after she started work. Her work colleagues noticed a spark between them and so a friend bent a spring on her machine just to get David to come back! This got David in some trouble as it was seen as a repeat call which was not company standard. It was obviously worth it though, and certainly paid off.
1966 was a big year for Nell & David. They bought their first house in January and married in the September. A camping trip to Troutbeck that Easter led them to book Low Wood for their honeymoon – their first ever stay in a hotel.
There was no huge song and dance of getting down on one knee. We knew we wanted to get married so we just started planning the wedding.
Escaping Tradition – almost!
Nell & David were married at the local church where Nell’s Father was Organ Master. Nell recalls the panic when 3 weeks before the big day they returned to the Bakery they had booked as caterers, only to discover the business had gone and was now an electrical shop.
It was only 3 weeks to go and I just thought, what are we going to do? Luckily a colleague who worked in the canteen stepped in and did the catering. It was such a panic at the time though.
It was tradition that friends would decorate your car when you got married, usually with lipstick which could mark the paint. David vividly recalls parking their Morris Minor out of view and getting his Father to drive them down the road before doubling back for the car. Their friends chased them shouting, ‘We know where you live!’ When they returned from honeymoon their house was decorated from top to bottom with toilet roll, and the neighbours weren’t too impressed.
After escaping their friends they travelled to Low Wood Bay, ensuring they stopped and changed their clothes en route. They were almost embarrassed to be newlyweds and were desperate just to blend in, even wondering at breakfast whether anyone had guessed.
The Secret of a Happy Marriage
When asking Nell and David about what makes a successful marriage Nell comments,
The first year is all about learning to consider this other person in your life. I remember in our 1st year of marriage we needed to buy a fridge. Needless to say, we couldn’t agree and so I walked off thinking David would follow me. I ended up walking to the next village which is about 5 miles away! After the first year, marriage is all about tolerance and understanding from both sides. You need to be tolerant of each other and not hold a grudge.
David sees marriage in a very similar way.
You need to understand that you don’t see things the same. Things wash over me that Nell sees differently – like the fridge!
Congratulations to Nell and David. It was wonderful to welcome them back to Low Wood Bay and to listen to their fond memories.
Perfect for Honeymoon Couples
Planning your honeymoon, an anniversary or just a romantic get away, Low Wood Bay is still the perfect venue.
