60 years of happiness

3:40pm Wednesday 13th August 2008

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WINSTON Churchill was leading the country and Bing Crosby was topping the charts when one Winsford couple were saying I do.

Now 60 years later the famous Prime Minister has long gone and music tastes have altered but the love between Elsie and Philip Bradburn has never waned.

The couple, who are originally from Gorton, Manchester, first met in 1940 in a crowded dance hall at Belle Vue.

Philip, who was just 21 at the time, said: “I just asked her to dance. I liked everything about her, she didn’t have anything that I disliked.”

The romance blossomed from there until Philip, now 86, joined the Welsh Fusiliers and in 1943 was posted to Japan.

Elsie, who is now 83, said: “He used to write to me two or three times a week and I would write to him once and then when he returned in 1947 we decided to get married.

“He’s such a gentleman and he treats me like a lady – nothing is ever too much trouble for him.”

The couple married in St Mark’s Church, in Gorton, on August 14, 1948 and then settled in Manchester and had four children – Susan, Janice, Phillip and Andrea.

After running a pub in Manchester for many years they decided to up sticks and moved to Winsford in 1972 – taking over the reins at the White Lion in Delamere Street.

The couple say the 12 years they spent behind the bar are some of their happiest memories.

“We met a lot of nice people there,” said Elsie.

“We couldn’t have met anyone better than the people we met in there, they were all so nice and we had some very happy times.”

They retired in 1983 and moved to their current home in Swanlow Lane.

Now they love nothing more than spending time with their nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren and avid Manchester City supporter Philip still goes to watch his beloved team every week.

Daughter Andrea said: “We are very proud of them. My mum and dad are a mum and dad who I would aspire to be, they are lovely parents and you couldn’t ask for anything better.”