On This Day

..................56 years ago Elizabeth St George Hornblower and Donald John Needle tied the knot at St matthews Church, Norwood South Australia  - and in all probability their first child was conceived on that evening!!!

My bridesmaids were three friends from Teachers College - Lia Kontoupis, Kate Mahoney and Chris Wardrop. I made my wedding dress - white satin underskirt with a sheer nylon embroidered overskirt and a wide embroidered cummerbund. The girls' dresses were made by Lia's mother and were in autumn coloured floral nylon over white satin.

I was given away by my father - Austin St George Hornblower - known as Charles, but that's a long story.

Just married

Don's attendants, resplendent in hired dark suits were Francis Hornblower, Fred Needle (best man) and Bronte Schubert.

This photo shows Don , me and our parents Ron and Mavis Needle and laura and Austin Hornblower

The wedding reception was afternoon tea in Mum and dad's back yard at Norwood. We had just finished teachers College and had a year out teaching on the lowest of salaries and were as poor as church mice. I had saved up to buy the fabric for my dress and going away outfit - very expensive, a revolting hat (you had to have one!!) and shoes for both outfits. Don's savings had paid for an engagement ring and wedding rings. Mum gave us 100 pounds for the wedding and we managed on that with 10 pounds left over.

I said it was revolting! The outfit - pencil skirt and jacket was embroidered turquoise linen, which I never wore again as it was too hot in Darwin. My wedding dress was put to good use in a school production of Trial by Jury.

We couldn't afford a honeymoon, but as we were going to teach in Darwin, we figured that would do. We spent the first two nights of our married life in a tiny room at the South Brighton hotel - barely enough room for a double bed. But we didn't care. We fronted up at the Needle home for breakfast the next morning, much to the surprise of the family.

 The next five nights we stayed with Don's grandparents - in a feather bed in a heat wave!!  Don came down with a rash on his body and was most amused when the doctor asked him if he had been doing anything stressful lately - "Does getting married count?" And then off to Darwin to begin married life together!

And now 56 years later and still together!!

Liz Needle