Here’s to Oz

Liz and Arnold at their wedding in 1967.

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Couple return to renew vows 46 years after leaving country
A DEVOTED couple who emigrated to Australia in 1967 have returned to the spot where they married — to do it all again in front of the original guests!

Arnold and Liz Andrew, who lived in Scouthead, married at Oldham Parish Church on March 25, 1967, six months before emigrating.

Wanting to reaffirm their love for each other, they came home on a long world cruise in the hope of being reunited with as many of their wedding guests as possible, so they can repeat their vows on Sunday before returning home.

The pair met in the cotton mills, but packed up their belongings to start a new life in Victoria.

Arnold (67) became a senior university lecturer while Liz (66) enjoyed a career in healthcare. The couple had two sons and four grandchildren along the way.

Arnold said: “Our wedding day was lovely, surrounded by our friends and family. When we moved away we kept in touch, but now we’re losing those people.

“So we saved up and made the journey. We’re renewing our vows for two reasons — we want it to be a simple restatement of our love, but we also want it to be a memorable occasion to mark our time in the UK. There’s a lot of nostalgia here for us.”

Arnold has already succeeded in tracking down a special guest — his best man, Ged Curren.

“We don’t have a guest list for the new service, but if we can trigger the memory of even one person who was at our wedding, we’ve done well. And if there’s more than that, we’d be over the moon.”

Anyone who wishes to join them again should attend the family service at Oldham Parish Church on August 11 (10.30am).