CONTENTS:

Introduction | In the Beginning... | Fleetwood | Cleethorpes | Wilson Street Days  
Elliston Street Secondary Modern School | A Pop Career? | Marjorie Elizabeth Robinson | Our First House

Marjorie Elizabeth Robinson

It was around this time that I first met Marje Robinson who was, much later, to become my wife. I first saw her climbing through a basement window at Richard Hudson's house in Grant Street, Cleethorpes. Richards parents had the Post Office in Grant Street and rather liberally let us young folk use the basement for parties. There was an off-licence nearby on High Street and we used to buy cider in large flagons which did the trick in the inebriation stakes! I was immediately and completely taken by Marje's appearance and still remember it vividly today. She had a short 'urchin-cut' hairstyle and wore a dark blue top with denims. This was very cool at the time. Marje was a student nurse and was going out with a lad called Alan Smith and of course I didn't have a chance of getting to know her - then.  

It was quite a time later that I actually asked Marje if she'd go out with me. My brother had been in hospital for an operation and one evening me and my dad had been to see him and Marje was on the same bus, having just finished a shift at the hospital. We got chatting and I asked her if she'd like to go out with me and much to my surprise she said yes! Marje used to come on bookings with me and the group and we used to go on romantic walks along Cleethorpes seafront in the evenings. Marje worked long and often un-social shifts at the Scartho Road Hospital in Grimsby but we still managed to see each other as often as possible and quickly fell in love.

Rev Harrison, Marje and Me

We got married on 4th April 1970 at the Methodist church on the corner of St. Peter's Avenue and Mill Road, Cleethorpes. The Rev. Harrison conducted the ceremony, my brother Frank was my best man and Marje was given away by her Dad, BIll. Marje looked lovely in her wedding dress and I wish we could have had a video of the event to look back on - in fact we only had black and white photos! I can't remember too much about the day but I do remember that Marje looked lovely in her white dress and it was great to have all our relations with us. 

Wedding Party, left to right - my Dad (Francis Henry), Grandma (Sarah), and  brother (Frank), my stepmum-to-be Brenda, Sharon Pearson, Me and Marje, Marje's sister, Christine Ann, Marje's Mum and Dad Elizabeth and Bill Robinson, Callum, Mabel, David and Alastair Sinclair (Marje's Aunty, Uncle and cousins).

I don't remember being nervous during the ceremony and neither of us 'fluffed' our lines. The reception was at the Winter Gardens in Cleethorpes following which we set off to Fleetwood in our Austin Mini 850 where we stayed with my Aunty Doris for our honeymoon. While we were on honeymoon, my Dad rang us and informed us he'd got married to Brenda on the Wednesday following our wedding which was a complete surprise. Dad and Brenda beat us to in the 'offspring stakes' by having a daughter, Sarah about one year later!