Hucknall couple's surprise 40th wedding anniversary party is a special family affair

A Hucknall couple have celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary with a special surprise party that allowed grandparents and grandchildren to meet, in some cases, for the very first time.
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Stuart Falconer, organised the surprise event for his wife Anne and their families at Calverton Working Men’s Club for June 26 – exactly 40 years to the day since he and Anne tied the knot at Holy Trinity Church at Lenton, not far from where Anne lived at the time.

He said: “I know many families haven’t been together for a while thanks to the pandemic but it has been a particularly long time since our family was.

"Our three children have now grown up and all left home and we now have six grandchildren.

Stuart and an emotional Anne at their surprise party (Photo: Nick Lawlor) and the couple on their wedding day in 1982Stuart and an emotional Anne at their surprise party (Photo: Nick Lawlor) and the couple on their wedding day in 1982
Stuart and an emotional Anne at their surprise party (Photo: Nick Lawlor) and the couple on their wedding day in 1982

"And for both our mothers, it was the first time they had been able to see and meet some of their grandchildren, which made the night extra special.”

Stuart and Anne met at what is now Rock City in Nottingham in the late 1970s.

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They used to go there most weeks and watched stars like Frank Carson and Lulu perform there.

After getting married, they lived in The Meadows and had three children.

The family moved to Royce Avenue in Hucknall in 1990 with the children attending Edgewood School and then the National School.

The couple now live on Voce Gardens.

He continued: “I had been promising my wife that at some point we would celebrate by having a family gathering.

“It was such a privilege to see Anne’s face when we surprised her.

"She is my rock and I try to be hers.”

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