On Tuesday 1st August 2023, local married couple David and Joyce Lane turned 90 years old together.
Originally born in differing parts of Nottingham on the same day (Joyce being oldest by only a few hours!), the pair married in April 1955 (photograph below) and had their first child Deborah in 1963 when they lived in Clifton.
Their second child Joanne was born in 1968, in which time the family had moved to West Bridgford and have been here ever since.
David had a brief stint in the military and after this was a painter and decorator until he retired. He was a keen footballer, playing for ‘The Meadows Old Boys’ as well as other clubs and was also a season ticket holder at Nottingham Forest for many years.
David made life-long friends as a child who he still has contact with now. Until Covid struck a few years ago, he and a small group of friends used to meet up every Tuesday evening in a local pub and put the world to rights over a pint.
Sadly many of his friends have passed away but he remains close to those who are still with us.
Joyce worked at the Boots factory as a young woman and following the birth of both daughters, she worked as a waitress at various different Nottingham establishments, including the restaurant at County Hall, The Commodore, The Chateau and The Charde.
Speaking to their youngest daughter Joanne, she explained: “I can’t speak for my sister but I certainly learnt a lot from my Dad and his ethos of loyalty in my own relationships with friends.
“My Mum used to love to bake and her fruit scones were legendary! In fact there was a time, a few decades ago now, when she used to bake on mass and stand at markets to sell her scones, cakes and mince pies. She also used to bake for a couple of local shops in West Bridgford.”
They have one grandchild, Charlotte who is now 24 years old.
The couple said their favourite decade was definitely the 1950s, but for slightly different reasons!
Joyce suggested she enjoyed ‘courting’ with David and getting married.
David also enjoyed getting married but also loved his National Service, including being stationed in Germany. An experience he enjoyed and still talks about today.
The pair, say their secret to longevity is having a loving family who all get on and support one another. Over the years, they have both had they fair share of illness but together they have fought on and with excellent health care they are still with us now.
A huge thank you to Joanne getting in touch and providing some lovely information about her parents and their lives together.