Norman and Joyce Johnson celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary a few days ago in July 2015.
The two grew up in the same area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and met early in adolescence.
Joyce was quite taken by Norman. When she found out he was attending night school, she, too, enrolled, although they took different courses.
They were married during the Second World War. Norman requested weekend leave. The ceremony took place on Saturday, and Norman returned on Sunday night.
He was among those safely evacuated from Dunkirk. In his pocket was a photo of Joyce which he’d wrapped in a 100,000 Deutsche Mark banknote to protect it.
Amazingly, although he had to swim to the rescue boat, the banknote and photo survive to this day.
After the war, Norman worked for the English Steel Corporation. Joyce took in laundry.
They have two daughters, Carol and Sue, seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
Although they went through the same life experiences as any other couple of their time, Joyce said:
we lived happily ever after.
Norman explained:
the secret to a long and happy marriage was ‘being easy-going with each other’.
He said: “I can honestly say we’ve never fallen out. We’ve been very happy indeed.
“We’ve done very well really.”
Congratulations to the happy couple!
Let’s take a few pages out of their marital notebook!
Churchmouse Campanologist 
5 comments
July 8, 2015 at 4:51 pm
The True Light!
A great post and a greater example for us, my friend!
Steve
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July 8, 2015 at 10:51 pm
churchmouse
Thank you very much, Steve!
This couple’s example is a shining one, indeed!
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July 8, 2015 at 4:54 pm
lleweton
A lovely piece of living history – and living of Life, maybe. I looked them up. I see from one cutting that their wedding breakfast was cheese and onion sandwiches, in a pub. As a young local newspaper reporter fifty and more years ago I interviewed many couples about their golden or diamond wedding celebrations. Sociologists would write volumes. Preachers would preach the moral of such stories. Perhaps there was no alternative, but people like these couples dealt with the circumstances they faced. They all had stories of hardship and struggle. There was a steadiness, an acceptance and resilience come what may and commitment to their lives together. Lovely that the couple you mention here have such a large family. When working on my country newspaper in the 1960s, cheese and onion (served on rolls or ‘cobs’ as they were called in the Midlands) in pubs, were part of my regular consumption and fit to mark any happy occasion. They did not ask for more, it seems, but what they received they received in full, and, as I read the story, to overflowing.
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July 8, 2015 at 11:02 pm
churchmouse
Thanks, Llew. Much appreciated!
Perhaps you saw the article in The Mirror. Here’s a link with mention of cheese and onion sandwiches, which I would not consider fitting for a wedding (breath considerations!) but understand the circumstances. There is also the photo of Joyce which Norman had with him when rescued and more details about the hastily planned nuptials:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ww2-veteran-who-fled-dunkirk-5970790
Yes, the admirable thing is that everyone then — including young people, at a serious disadvantage, particularly men — just got on with it. It wouldn’t happen nowadays. Whilst I would not wish war on anyone and am sure Joyce was very worried about her Norman, they (and the rest of their generation) showed pluck that most of us do not have today.
Agreed about their being blessed with so many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Marvellous!
Also like your conclusion about not having asked for more but what they received came in abundance!
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July 9, 2015 at 3:40 pm
lleweton
Thanks. I saw much the same report on a newswire site (not PA), the name of which I forget. Very good pictures and a poignant and lovely one of Joyce in wartime. Yes, looking back it’s amazing how the women at home maintained routine and normality and in fact everyone indeed ‘carried on’. It was certainly true of my mother and grandmother, with whom we lived. Grandma’s flat in north London had been flattened by a bomb. My mother wrote to my father in the army every day for four and a half years. I wish my parents had kept the letters. I can here the scratching of her pen now.
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