Diamond Congratulations for a sparkling marriage ...

The times they do change ... Happy Anniversary to Harry and Helen: Sixty Years of a good fulsome marriage ... many happy times and loads of  laughter ...

Early in World War II, 1941, they plighted their troth ... Helen, as a young girl visiting the local greengrocers, decided that the owner’s lad would be her fairy prince ... and she was not going to let anybody stand or anything get in her way.

Harry, of course, thought – yugh ... a little blonde girl ... no ways ... but ...

Who could have guessed
when you began married life
how entwined you'd become
as husband and wife.
After 60 years
you still say "I Love You"
in many different ways.
May the Diamond day remind you
you share a special happiness
life gives to very few.

Brixton Windmill 1820 -
where local corn and barley
were milled (author unknown)

They have memories many ... Helen’s family who, in the 1930s, came from Scotland to look for work ... in a rapidly expanding area of South London ... where post WW1 industrialisation and conurbation was enveloping those fields where corn and barley once were grown.

In the early 1920s Helen’s father went off to Argentina to find work ... he became a “gaucho” – a nomadic cattle rancher - on the Argentine Pampas.  Change was happening here too ... wild cattle were brought to the Pampas from Paraguay in 1580, by the early 1700s commercial cattle ranching had begun.

He was one of many trying their hand in Argentina ... between the 1850s and 1950 over 4 million Europeans migrated permanently ... Helen’s prince would have been someone very different from her Harry – but fortunately her father was one of 3 million seasonal workers, who returned back to their homeland.

Gaucho 1887

He obviously totally lived the gaucho life .. as on his return to Scotland, he could read and speak Castilian Spanish.  Later on he was invited to Spain to use those skills working in the media.

Helen has a few of her father’s paintings on her wall ... one of Lawrence of Arabia and one of  St Paul’s Cathedral.  When his demise came and they were clearing out his effects ... lo and behold two pearl handled revolvers, dated 1908, appeared!

Now in this country .. you’re not allowed to own a gun, unless you have a licence – no licence!  Harry in the 1980s pops them in his pocket and off to the police station he goes – whereupon he’s arrested!  The policeman locks him up ... despite the logical explanation  ... common sense did not prevail, but eventually he gets out ... after a quick word in the right ear ... all charges were dropped.

An early 20th century

pearl-handled Smith & 

Wesson revolver

This obviously slightly shocked Helen – but I suspect she’d lived through a few other escapades with Harry and I’m sure life has been interesting.


Returning to our love story .. our Diamond Anniversary ... Helen, the Moon Goddess, ... became engaged to Harry, the Home Ruler ... during the early part of the War – then Harry got sent with the Special Forces to Malaya ... where he was shot – fortunately not killed and was repatriated after a spell in hospital.

Married life began in grim conditions ... London was bombed out, the uncertainty of the future ... after the War, Harry found a job in a Munitions factory – then when that closed he worked for a Municipal gardening company, then on to work in Security for the Imperial War Museum ... before being promoted to the photographic archive department.

Harry served 25 long years ...  and as every good husband does - gave Helen his unopened wage packet!   He earned £5 per week ... £1 went to pay the rent for their house, then Helen gave her husband 10 shillings (ten bob - as it was known) for cigarettes, the odd beer – those were the days.

There was very little spare especially as rations were still in place ... and once little Phillip came along, the wage packet was stretched even further ... often to breaking point – there was no money to buy coal and it was positively freezing.

Harry went on his own for his weekly visit to his mother, as the conditions were just too icy for a tiny newborn ... before Harry left his mother gave him a Mars Bar – with strict instructions that it was for Helen only. 

Giving your Chocolate Ration away was a very generous gift ... anyway Harry needed 1/2p for the 1 1/2p bus fare home, so he asked if he could borrow from his mother .. not a problem. 

The next week the family returned for his mother’s lunch ...  as they were leaving – Harry’s mother said .. ‘haven’t you forgotten something?’  ‘No’ Harry said and thought as he looked around ... ‘What about the 1/2p I leant you?’ ... Ah! ... he had asked to borrow ... his mother expected that money back ...

Graphic from the original

Broadway cast album:

"A Funny Thing Happened on

the Way to the Forum"

The Mars Bar contained no chocolate – just £250!  Yet his mother wanted her borrowed half-penny back!  £250 is worth approximately £7,000 today ...  enough to buy a few bags of coal!

Helen loves to sing and during the war sang in a choir, which entertained the troops and unmarried mothers ... later on they both joined the local theatre, with Phillip now working as a stage hand, their enjoyment in the entertainment industry continues.

Eventually a move to the seaside prevailed and ...

World Famous Diamonds:

A group of 

multi-coloured diamonds

One by one each year flew by,
since you both said "I do"...
60 years of memories,
shared by the two of you.
From big events and holidays
to simple daily pleasures,
some tearful times along life's way,
some joys that can't be measured...
One by one each year now gone,
but still they're yours forever...
each and every memory,
of sixty years together!



Have a Happy Diamond Wedding – Helen and Harry – a Positive Letter for a day that's filled with fun, and remember 60 years ago when two became one!

Dear Mr Postman – please make sure this is delivered to Helen and Harry for their special day ... you pass Helen on your way to see my mother.

See my post here for more information on diamonds and baroque pearls ... http://positiveletters.blogspot.com/2009/11/rough-diamonds-and-baroque-pearls.html

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

The Queen's card sent to Helen and Harry
(NB a different photo is sent each time)

Greeting from the Queen