Latest news with #EastGrinstead
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New bone density scanner comes to hospital
A new state-of-the-art bone density scanner is now in use at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanner, which cost £90,660, is a quick and painless way to check bone health. It measures the strength and condition of someone's bones and screens patients for osteoporosis and other bone-weakening conditions. Early diagnosis of osteoporosis can prevent life-changing fractures, which can otherwise follow everyday occurrences like a cough or a fall from standing height. Half of women over 50 will suffer fractures due to osteoporosis, and a fifth of men, and fractures are the fourth greatest cause of disability in the UK, as well as the second greatest filler of hospital beds. The arrival of the scanner means that many QVH patients can receive their bone density assessment closer to home rather than need to go to elsewhere in Sussex, like Eastbourne, or Lewes, for example, which they have had to do previously, and for other patients it means they can have their treatment at the hospital of their choice. Patient Jane Stewart-Parry fits that bill and she cut the ribbon on the scanner when it arrived at QVH, just moments before she became the first person to use it. Jane, 64, who is from Battle, in East Sussex, said: "Once I knew that the scanner was coming here and that I could be referred here, I wanted to come. "It is amazing, and I am so proud that I am the first patient to be scanned. "My family are really excited too. "My mother died from an undiagnosed osteoporosis condition so it is great that I can come here, to the hospital of my choice, and see where I am at. "I want to make sure I get the right treatment, to make sure I can be monitored as we go along. "It brings peace of mind and awareness too, for my two children, especially my daughter, who is 29. "Cutting the ribbon was fantastic – I shall dine out on that for a while, don't you worry." Sarah Solanki, clinical director core, clinical and community services, said: "It is a great addition for us and our patients. "The machine can examine the bone density of people with suspected, or at risk of having, osteoporosis and in addition how we can monitor patients at risk. "Monitoring at risk patients assists with the ability to reduce their risk of fractures in the future by lifestyle changes and clinical support from specialists." Edmund Tabay, chief nursing officer, added: "The introduction of this scanner is part of our overall community diagnostic programme, and will help patients in our local area and across Sussex, have this treatment. "There is a national shortage of DXA scanners, so we are delighted to include one in our quality offer to patients."
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Olympian turns hand to padel as new court opens in East Grinstead
An Olympic gold medallist who played club hockey in West Sussex is vying to reach the top of another sport - Bray, who was part of the Great Britain hockey side which won gold in the 2016 Rio games, retired from hockey in has swapped the hockey stick for a racket by taking up padel, which she plays on a new four court facility which will be fully open to the public in East Grinstead from this years on from her Olympic gold, Bray has risen the rankings and currently sits in the top 20 women's padel players in the country. She said it has been a "great replacement for playing hockey"."It's super social and there's more enjoyment as the improvement curve goes up," she said."I think while I was still playing both sports, the girls used to laugh at me that I was playing padel on the hockey pitch."Played in doubles on an enclosed court, padel - considered a blend of tennis and squash - is on the rise in the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) estimates that there will be more than 1000 padel courts in the UK by the start of 2026 - up from just 50 back in enthusiastic about competing, Bray has taken part in LTA tournaments and is keen to see where this journey takes for East Grinstead's new facility, she believes it makes an "amazing club" even better.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
The unbelievably subtle 'spot' on woman's nose that turned out to be cancer - doctors forced to remove chunk of her face
A mother has shared the incredibly subtle sign of her skin cancer that struck twice, and resulted in a 'big gaping black hole' in the side of her nose. Kerry-Ann Buckell, 35, from East Grinstead, spotted a red puss-filled bump on her nose in 2021 and thought it was just a pimple. She squeezed the spot and didn't think much of it, but it kept reappearing over the next three weeks. Despite bursting the pimple every time it reappeared, it would soon come back again, prompting the celebrity hairstylist to seek medical advise. Her doctor was concerned and referred Ms Buckell to a dermatologist for further checks and a possible biopsy. Starting to fear the worst, Ms Buckell looked up her ailment online, where all answers seemed to point to a terrifying diagnosis. 'The words skin cancer practically jumped off the webpage', she told That's Life magazine. 'But I convinced myself that it was just a white-head.' She added that she always wore SPF and has never been a 'sun-worshipper'. Despite lockdown restrictions, Ms Buckell was seen quickly and, following a biopsy, she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma—a common form of skin cancer, affecting around 75,000 people in the UK every year. Ms Buckell had missed the main symptom of the disease— a growth or unusual patch on the skin, which usually affects areas that are exposed to the sun. Luckily, as is usually the case with basal cell carcinoma, unlike ultra-deadly melanoma, it had not spread. She said: 'I had read about people who loved being in the sun who had got skin cancer, but that wasn't me, so it left me very confused when they confirmed my diagnosis. 'It hadn't spread. But the realisation that I had cancer was hard to swallow.' The biopsy removed the growth and Ms Buckell recovered well—until three years later in November 2024, when she noticed another spot on the side of her nose. She tried to burst it with her fingers, but the spot would not stop bleeding. She said: 'I noticed another spot, this time double the size, that wouldn't budge'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kerry-Ann Buckell / KB Hair Extensions (@kbhairextensions) Two weeks later, the spot was still there, and, as a single mother to her 10-month old son Albie, Ms Buckell was becoming increasingly concerned. 'As much as I tried to stay in denial, I knew what it was', she said. The hairstylist was referred to a dermatologist who confirmed that the cancer was back. Ms Buckell had the disease removed, which left her with a big black hole on the side of her nose. 'This time, it was much bigger,' she said. 'It was scrapped off and I was left with a big gaping black hole on my face that made me really self-conscious.' Ms Buckell's nose has since healed and she has recently opened up her own hair salon after taking a course in trichology—the study of diseases and disorders of the hair and scalp—to help her understand warning signs. She also checks her client's scalps for any signs of skin cancer. 'Never did I think skin cancer would appear as a regular looking spot', she said. 'I'm now doing everything I can to encourage skin safety.' She is now urging people to take precautions before heading out into the sun. 'It might leave you glowing at first, but it could result in your life being on the line.' It takes a scarily low number of sunburns – only five – to make you vulnerable to skin cancer, which kills more than 2,000 people in the UK every year. The deadliest type is melanoma, which penetrates into the deep layers of the skin and can spread to other organs. Non-melanoma skin cancers, like basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, are slow growing, starting in the top later of skin, meaning that doctors can almost always cure them. Common symptoms include a spot that won't stop bleeding—due to the fragile nature of the tumours—a bump that appears darker than the surrounding skin, and crusty patches of skin that feel rough or itchy. Whilst this type of skin cancer is relatively harmless, patients often have to undergo invasive operations to remove large chunks of their skin, in order to remove the cancer—which in some cases can be disfiguring. The most harmful type of sunrays are UVB rays which hit the outer most layer of the skin and cause sunburn, as well as UVA rays which penetrate much deeper. Both of these are ultraviolet, meaning they can cause skin cancer. A worrying 90 per cent of skin cancer cases in the UK are a direct result of sunburn and using sunbeds, according to Cancer Research.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I wore my wedding dress from my first marriage at my second'
Whether you floated down the aisle feeling like a princess or went for a less traditional take on wedding attire, does the outfit you wore on your special day still lurk in the back of your wardrobe? And could you still squeeze into it? When Queen Camilla celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary on April 9, she stepped out in the still-flattering ivory silk Anna Valentine dress and coat originally worn at her 2005 wedding to King Charles, who's also remained fairly trim. While some couples choose to sell or give away their wedding attire after the big day, 60 per cent of brides hold on to their wedding dresses – which then rarely if ever get worn again. 'I've tried my dress on once or twice over the years, and I did toy with dyeing it, but what I would wear it for?' says Alison Reddihough, who married Simon 28 years ago. Here, as we hit wedding season, we've given the Reddihoughs and three more couples the chance to recreate the romance of those wedding poses. Alison and Simon Reddihough, 57 and 60, from East Grinstead, have been married for 28 years 'We're both actors, and we met on stage at Westcliff Palace Theatre performing in the panto Beauty & The Beast,' recalls Simon. 'I was a barbary pirate, and Alison was an ugly sister – although she was far from ugly! You really bond with people when you work on a theatre production, it's quite intense and we got used to collaborating. Both coupled up at the time, our initial connection was friendship.' The pair stayed in touch and a year later, both single again, found themselves living at opposite ends of Wandsworth Common. As they were working on another production together, Simon would pop around 'unannounced all the time, like an eager little puppy. She was very attractive'. Alison adds: 'There was always an ease between us. Simon was his own man, and I liked that. Neither of us is overly romantic or needy, but we just really get on. It sounds corny but the first time we kissed felt like coming home.' An engagement was on the cards. 'Two years later, when my mum passed away my dad offered me Mum's engagement ring,' says Simon. 'This felt like a nudge, and I took the opportunity to propose.' Alison's parents paid for the wedding – which she says is a good thing as they 'had deeper pockets than us'. She adds: 'My bridal gown was made by a dressmaker in Lewes for £1,000 and, being an actor, I wanted something romantic and theatrical and that's what I got – it was laced up at the back, with a big skirt and our initials on the train embroidered in gold, all linked together. Simon's waistcoat and bow tie were made from the same silk, to tie our outfits in together. His frock coat and dress suit trousers came from my brother's menswear shop for about £280 in total.' The pair were married in May 1997 on a beautiful sunny day, with Alison feeling 'like a Shakespearean heroine'. 'I was incredibly moved by the occasion – like when my dad couldn't get through his speech without choking up, and during our first dance, which was We Have All the Time in the World.' Luckily, zipping and lacing themselves back into the wedding outfits hasn't been too much of a struggle, says Alison. 'We've always lived an active life – our Peloton and treadmill get used every day. And having the same values and daft sense of humour means we stay bonded, although we're good at giving each other space too. No longer actors, we've set up our own business, Tickled Moon, making personalised children's books. Now our two boys have left home, it's our time to reconnect.' When Gemma Gunyent-King, 59, married Matthew King, 55, in 2019, she re-wore the custom-made dress from her first wedding in 1996 'Getting married was never really an ambition for me,' says Gemma. 'In fact, I only married my first husband because his parents would not allow us to live together. I'm a Catalan from Barcelona and, while I'm not traditional, I grew up with strong family values, and my parents wanted me to have a special dress. My grandmother, being an amazing seamstress, made this wild silk dress for me with lovely little buttons, and while I wasn't particularly bothered about getting married, I loved wearing it. 'But then when the marriage didn't work out, I got a job in England and moved on with my life, packing the dress away in my parents' loft. And then, in 2002, I met Matthew.' Matthew worked at the same banking company as Gemma near Heathrow, and used to see her ride her bike past him as he walked from the station to the office. He says: 'Well, she was very noticeable, because she's a colourful, energetic person – the opposite of me! She never spoke to me, but I found her intriguing and then one day, I spotted her leaping barefoot down the office corridor. If you know Gemma, this is typical behaviour…' 'I was just doing some fitness moves and didn't think anyone had seen me,' explains Gemma. 'But then he came up to me in the kitchen and just asked these very direct questions that totally disarmed me. He was shy but very confident in a weird way and I liked it. When we got together after a company football match, it just felt right. From 2002 until 2019 we lived together and, while I was never intending to re-marry, once my divorce finally came through, we realised we should have a wedding while both sets of parents were around to see it.' When they were married in front of friends from all around the world at the Holiday Inn in Camden – the area where he grew up – Matthew didn't baulk at the idea of Gemma re-wearing her original wedding dress. 'I'm quite practical and, knowing friends who've spent more on the dress than the actual wedding, when Gemma suggested wearing her beautiful dress again, well I completely understood why she'd want to – and approved of not spending money needlessly,' he says. Gemma adds: 'Being a fitness instructor, I've stayed the same size thanks to yoga, Pilates and lifting weights, so wearing the dress again was no problem. Even my parents, who came over from Spain for our wedding, recycled their outfits from the first wedding – well they still fit them, so why not?' Tonia and Mick O'Conchuir, 53 and 49, who live in Marlow, have been married for 17 years Tonia and Mick met at work at Procter & Gamble in Dublin in 2004. She says: 'Mick started after me and pitched up at the desk opposite and was always asking me annoying questions. After a messy break-up, I was off men for a few years. I just wished I could find a boyfriend who had the qualities of my male friends. It took me a while to realise the right man was right in front of me.' Mick says: 'I'd always got on well with Tonia and one night at someone's leaving drinks, I really wanted to sit beside her, and later I didn't want her to leave. After that night we got together and never looked back. ' But for a while no engagement was forthcoming – despite a surfeit of possibilities. 'After we'd been together for three years, in spite of many picturesque opportunities to propose, like the Eiffel Tower and Victoria Falls, no proposal came,' says Tonia. 'It wasn't until Valentine's Day in 2007 when we were just having a normal evening in our apartment, that I let it be known that I was about to propose myself. He covered my mouth with his hands to stop me – and then showed me the website full of engagement rings he'd been poring over.' While Tonia wanted to run away to Las Vegas and get married there, Mick was adamant it would take place in a church with their families in attendance. Meanwhile, Tonia's vision of a modern wedding outfit changed when she was shown an incredible dress in Selfridges. 'Gone were my plans for a colourful dress to wear again and again – this stunning Vera Wang dress had my heart in an instant. I loved the 1920s feel, the simplicity, the stylishness. It was £1,800 and I still can't believe I spent that much on a dress, especially as I bought Jimmy Choos to wear with it – but it feels amazing to wear it again.' 'I found an off-the-peg suit in Kilgour, Savile Row, which, after a few adjustments, was perfect,' says Mick. 'It was £1,300 and I still wear the jacket all the time, but it's only because I've lost a bit of weight recently that I can fit into the trousers, with the help of a safety pin!' Tonia says: 'Mick's genetically blessed when it comes to staying trim – he's still the same up-and-down shape, apart from the belly. 'As for me, while I gained about seven kilos after having our two daughters, I've taken up rowing again, and it works every muscle in your body.' She continues: 'At our wedding in 2007 we had to walk up the aisle twice, because my mum arrived late and missed my dad giving me away! We'd started out as friends and that friendship and fondness is still there. Mick is still one of the best men I know.' Madeleine and Steven Black, 59 and 62, from Glasgow, got married 39 years ago 'I was 20 and Madeleine was 17 when we met, working in community programmes in Ashkelon in Israel. I saw her and instantly thought I'd love it if we got together,' says Steven. But for Madeleine it wasn't an instant romance. 'When I met him, I was in a bad place. Having been through a difficult time in my teens I just couldn't understand why this lovely guy would want to be with me. But he won me over and, with me living with my parents in London and him in Scotland, for ages we travelled up and down on the overnight bus to see each other at weekends.' Soon Steve moved down to London, and the pair continued their romance. He says: 'When Madeleine suggested, after five years together, that we might want to think about marriage I'd actually been working my way up to proposing. So, I asked her dad Leo for his blessing, and once he gave it we were engaged in March 1986.' 'Dress shopping with a girlfriend in Harrods, I'd found this silk one I liked by Catherine Davighi – simple, elegant and not at all frou-frou,' says Madeleine. 'She made the dress for me for £800 with silk from China, shortening it to three quarters at my request, as I thought I'd want to wear it again – but never have until now. Sadly, the head-dress I wore that day has been damaged during our three daughters' many dressing-up games!' The pair got married in November 1986 in Hendon on a cold, snowy day at her parents' local synagogue. Madeleine adds: 'It was a beautiful, stress-free day, memorable for the best man forgetting his shoes, and my clarinet teacher and his band playing the first dance, What a Wonderful World. 'Now I'm 60 I'm delighted to find the dress still fits, especially as I put on two and half stone during the menopause – it's taken a lot of steps on the treadmill, as well as gym, karate, yoga and intermittent fasting, to get back to the size I was at 23! And it feels lovely to wear my dress again.' Meanwhile, Stephen has kept in trim with Hyrox. 'Training for their circuit indoor fitness competitions helps keep me fit, as they're incredibly physically demanding,' says Steven, who participates in different countries. 'In fact, my double-breasted wedding suit, which was £150 from Next in Fenchurch Street near where I worked, got too big for me eventually. In the end my daughter said I couldn't wear it any more, so I had to give it away, which I did with no regrets,' says Steve, hence the slight wardrobe variation from their wedding day. 'Our marriage works because, while we're always growing and evolving and both very different people, we still do stuff together, still travel and go and see live music. And when we have disagreements, we can both admit when we are in the wrong,' says Madeleine, author of Unbroken. 'We laugh a lot too, especially when we have our eight-month-old granddaughter over to stay.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘I wore my wedding dress from my first marriage at my second'
Whether you floated down the aisle feeling like a princess or went for a less traditional take on wedding attire, does the outfit you wore on your special day still lurk in the back of your wardrobe? And could you still squeeze into it? When Queen Camilla celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary on April 9, she stepped out in the still-flattering ivory silk Anna Valentine dress and coat originally worn at her 2005 wedding to King Charles, who's also remained fairly trim. While some couples choose to sell or give away their wedding attire after the big day, 60 per cent of brides hold on to their wedding dresses – which then rarely if ever get worn again. 'I've tried my dress on once or twice over the years, and I did toy with dyeing it, but what I would wear it for?' says Alison Reddihough, who married Simon 28 years ago. Here, as we hit wedding season, we've given the Reddihoughs and three more couples the chance to recreate the romance of those wedding poses. 'I felt like a Shakespearean heroine in my dress' Alison and Simon Reddihough, 57 and 60, from East Grinstead, have been married for 28 years 'We're both actors, and we met on stage at Westcliff Palace Theatre performing in the panto Beauty & The Beast,' recalls Simon. 'I was a barbary pirate, and Alison was an ugly sister – although she was far from ugly! You really bond with people when you work on a theatre production, it's quite intense and we got used to collaborating. Both coupled up at the time, our initial connection was friendship.' The pair stayed in touch and a year later, both single again, found themselves living at opposite ends of Wandsworth Common. As they were working on another production together, Simon would pop around 'unannounced all the time, like an eager little puppy. She was very attractive'. Alison adds: 'There was always an ease between us. Simon was his own man, and I liked that. Neither of us is overly romantic or needy, but we just really get on. It sounds corny but the first time we kissed felt like coming home.' An engagement was on the cards. 'Two years later, when my mum passed away my dad offered me Mum's engagement ring,' says Simon. 'This felt like a nudge, and I took the opportunity to propose.' Alison's parents paid for the wedding – which she says is a good thing as they 'had deeper pockets than us'. She adds: 'My bridal gown was made by a dressmaker in Lewes for £1,000 and, being an actor, I wanted something romantic and theatrical and that's what I got – it was laced up at the back, with a big skirt and our initials on the train embroidered in gold, all linked together. Simon's waistcoat and bow tie were made from the same silk, to tie our outfits in together. His frock coat and dress suit trousers came from my brother's menswear shop for about £280 in total.' The pair were married in May 1997 on a beautiful sunny day, with Alison feeling 'like a Shakespearean heroine'. 'I was incredibly moved by the occasion – like when my dad couldn't get through his speech without choking up, and during our first dance, which was We Have All the Time in the World. ' Luckily, zipping and lacing themselves back into the wedding outfits hasn't been too much of a struggle, says Alison. 'We've always lived an active life – our Peloton and treadmill get used every day. And having the same values and daft sense of humour means we stay bonded, although we're good at giving each other space too. No longer actors, we've set up our own business, Tickled Moon, making personalised children's books. Now our two boys have left home, it's our time to reconnect.' 'I re-wore my wedding dress for my second marriage – why not?' When Gemma Gunyent-King, 59, married Matthew King, 55, in 2019, she re-wore the custom-made dress from her first wedding in 1996 'Getting married was never really an ambition for me,' says Gemma. 'In fact, I only married my first husband because his parents would not allow us to live together. I'm a Catalan from Barcelona and, while I'm not traditional, I grew up with strong family values, and my parents wanted me to have a special dress. My grandmother, being an amazing seamstress, made this wild silk dress for me with lovely little buttons, and while I wasn't particularly bothered about getting married, I loved wearing it. 'But then when the marriage didn't work out, I got a job in England and moved on with my life, packing the dress away in my parents' loft. And then, in 2002, I met Matthew.' Matthew worked at the same banking company as Gemma near Heathrow, and used to see her ride her bike past him as he walked from the station to the office. He says: 'Well, she was very noticeable, because she's a colourful, energetic person – the opposite of me! She never spoke to me, but I found her intriguing and then one day, I spotted her leaping barefoot down the office corridor. If you know Gemma, this is typical behaviour…' 'I was just doing some fitness moves and didn't think anyone had seen me,' explains Gemma. 'But then he came up to me in the kitchen and just asked these very direct questions that totally disarmed me. He was shy but very confident in a weird way and I liked it. When we got together after a company football match, it just felt right. From 2002 until 2019 we lived together and, while I was never intending to re-marry, once my divorce finally came through, we realised we should have a wedding while both sets of parents were around to see it.' When they were married in front of friends from all around the world at the Holiday Inn in Camden – the area where he grew up – Matthew didn't baulk at the idea of Gemma re-wearing her original wedding dress. 'I'm quite practical and, knowing friends who've spent more on the dress than the actual wedding, when Gemma suggested wearing her beautiful dress again, well I completely understood why she'd want to – and approved of not spending money needlessly,' he says. Gemma adds: 'Being a fitness instructor, I've stayed the same size thanks to yoga, Pilates and lifting weights, so wearing the dress again was no problem. Even my parents, who came over from Spain for our wedding, recycled their outfits from the first wedding – well they still fit them, so why not?' 'I spent £1,800 on my Vera Wang dress – it's amazing to wear it again' Tonia and Mick O'Conchuir, 53 and 49, who live in Marlow, have been married for 17 years Tonia and Mick met at work at Procter & Gamble in Dublin in 2004. She says: 'Mick started after me and pitched up at the desk opposite and was always asking me annoying questions. After a messy break-up, I was off men for a few years. I just wished I could find a boyfriend who had the qualities of my male friends. It took me a while to realise the right man was right in front of me.' Mick says: 'I'd always got on well with Tonia and one night at someone's leaving drinks, I really wanted to sit beside her, and later I didn't want her to leave. After that night we got together and never looked back. ' But for a while no engagement was forthcoming – despite a surfeit of possibilities. 'After we'd been together for three years, in spite of many picturesque opportunities to propose, like the Eiffel Tower and Victoria Falls, no proposal came,' says Tonia. 'It wasn't until Valentine's Day in 2007 when we were just having a normal evening in our apartment, that I let it be known that I was about to propose myself. He covered my mouth with his hands to stop me – and then showed me the website full of engagement rings he'd been poring over.' While Tonia wanted to run away to Las Vegas and get married there, Mick was adamant it would take place in a church with their families in attendance. Meanwhile, Tonia's vision of a modern wedding outfit changed when she was shown an incredible dress in Selfridges. 'Gone were my plans for a colourful dress to wear again and again – this stunning Vera Wang dress had my heart in an instant. I loved the 1920s feel, the simplicity, the stylishness. It was £1,800 and I still can't believe I spent that much on a dress, especially as I bought Jimmy Choos to wear with it – but it feels amazing to wear it again.' 'I found an off-the-peg suit in Kilgour, Savile Row, which, after a few adjustments, was perfect,' says Mick. 'It was £1,300 and I still wear the jacket all the time, but it's only because I've lost a bit of weight recently that I can fit into the trousers, with the help of a safety pin!' Tonia says: 'Mick's genetically blessed when it comes to staying trim – he's still the same up-and-down shape, apart from the belly. 'As for me, while I gained about seven kilos after having our two daughters, I've taken up rowing again, and it works every muscle in your body.' She continues: 'At our wedding in 2007 we had to walk up the aisle twice, because my mum arrived late and missed my dad giving me away! We'd started out as friends and that friendship and fondness is still there. Mick is still one of the best men I know.' 'My dress was designed so I could wear it again – but I never have until today' Madeleine and Steven Black, 59 and 62, from Glasgow, got married 39 years ago 'I was 20 and Madeleine was 17 when we met, working in community programmes in Ashkelon in Israel. I saw her and instantly thought I'd love it if we got together,' says Steven. But for Madeleine it wasn't an instant romance. 'When I met him, I was in a bad place. Having been through a difficult time in my teens I just couldn't understand why this lovely guy would want to be with me. But he won me over and, with me living with my parents in London and him in Scotland, for ages we travelled up and down on the overnight bus to see each other at weekends.' Soon Steve moved down to London, and the pair continued their romance. He says: 'When Madeleine suggested, after five years together, that we might want to think about marriage I'd actually been working my way up to proposing. So, I asked her dad Leo for his blessing, and once he gave it we were engaged in March 1986.' 'Dress shopping with a girlfriend in Harrods, I'd found this silk one I liked by Catherine Davighi – simple, elegant and not at all frou-frou,' says Madeleine. 'She made the dress for me for £800 with silk from China, shortening it to three quarters at my request, as I thought I'd want to wear it again – but never have until now. Sadly, the head-dress I wore that day has been damaged during our three daughters' many dressing-up games!' The pair got married in November 1986 in Hendon on a cold, snowy day at her parents' local synagogue. Madeleine adds: 'It was a beautiful, stress-free day, memorable for the best man forgetting his shoes, and my clarinet teacher and his band playing the first dance, What a Wonderful World. 'Now I'm 60 I'm delighted to find the dress still fits, especially as I put on two and half stone during the menopause – it's taken a lot of steps on the treadmill, as well as gym, karate, yoga and intermittent fasting, to get back to the size I was at 23! And it feels lovely to wear my dress again.' Meanwhile, Stephen has kept in trim with Hyrox. 'Training for their circuit indoor fitness competitions helps keep me fit, as they're incredibly physically demanding,' says Steven, who participates in different countries. 'In fact, my double-breasted wedding suit, which was £150 from Next in Fenchurch Street near where I worked, got too big for me eventually. In the end my daughter said I couldn't wear it any more, so I had to give it away, which I did with no regrets,' says Steve, hence the slight wardrobe variation from their wedding day. 'Our marriage works because, while we're always growing and evolving and both very different people, we still do stuff together, still travel and go and see live music. And when we have disagreements, we can both admit when we are in the wrong,' says Madeleine, author of Unbroken. 'We laugh a lot too, especially when we have our eight-month-old granddaughter over to stay.'
