Couples' chance hotel encounter

Ann and Edward Moran and Annette and Colin Pallister both booked into the Silver Sands Hotel on Burlington Road West to celebrate their golden weddings at the weekend.

Unbeknown to the others, both couples were married on March 25 1967 in their respective home towns.

They were introduced by Silver Sands manager Richard Perry, 49, who noticed they were both celebrating their golden weddings on their booking applications.

He said: “It’s an unbelievable series of coincidences to make it happen.

“We introduced them and they did get on. It was quite interesting because they both remembered the day, since it was a big day for them, and they both said how bad the weather was.

“One of them came to Blackpool for their honeymoon and it was so bad they only stayed one day. It snowed.

“We very occasionally get golden weddings in here, but to get two to come in on the same day is totally amazing.

“They were from different areas and didn’t even know each other.”

Edward, 72, a retired supervisor at Manchester University, who lives with wife Ann in Newton Heath, Manchester, said: “It was a very interesting coincidence. We got on very well and the manager gave us a bottle of champagne each and gave us a wonderful night of entertainment.”

Edward and Ann, 69, were married at a registry office in Manchester that would later go on to form part of the university where Edward worked. They have three grandchildren.

Edward said: “We’ve had our ups and downs but we’re now enjoying our little holidays.”

Annette, 68, said: “We had already been at the hotel a week and had extended our holiday, and they came in the last few days we were there.

“They were a lovely couple.”

Annette and retired firefighter Colin, 70, met in Withernsea, East Yorkshire, when she was 16 and he was 18. They have one daughter and two grandchildren.

Annette said: “I don’t know where the years have gone.”