Dad joined the RAF on 5th May 1959.
In October he was posted to RAF Episkopi in Cyprus.

Fate led him to Acropolis in Nicosia to spend a week’s holiday with some British friends who were also friendly with my mum.

My mum visited the couple and obviously he liked her so he asked her to go with him to the pictures but she refused and told him her dad won’t allow her.

After they chatted a bit he asked her when do Greek Cypriots girls are allowed to go out with a boy and she told him they are allowed after they get engaged.

They continued to see each other and talk as his friends lived across the road from her and their two young children were very fond of my mum and always calling to see her after she finished work.

When his holiday was over he went back to Episkopi but kept in touch over the phone at the solicitor’s office where she worked.

My dad’s motto was always if you want something go for it so on his next visit he arrived with a ring and went to see her dad.
Understandably her dad went ballistic “Not only he is a foreigner he is a serviceman and all servicemen have a girl in every port you silly naive little girl” to which she replied he is not in the Navy but in the RAF.

Several arguments continued but my dad stood his ground and faced up to her dad which appealed to my mum.

After a few days when her dad saw how adamant she was as well to go ahead with the engagement he reluctantly agreed.

My dad visited every weekend and during the week sometimes he used to get a lift on a small aircraft which came to collect/deliver the post from Nicosia very early in the morning and when my dad used to knock at the door at 4 am just to see my mum then rush back to Episkopi my grandad used to shout “What’s that idiot doing here at 4 am waking us up”
They put up with my grandad’s outbursts and always had a good laugh.

Objections were raised by the RAF also and my dad’s officer tried to persuade him to break the engagement.
Unbeknown to my mum she was investigated and luckily none of her relatives were involved in the EOKA movement. If they were my dad would have been sent back to the Uk.

So they had the RAF’s approval when they got married at the High Commissioner’s Office on the 14th October 1960 followed by a church service in the Greek Orthodox Church. (After having to pay a fine to the church because he was a Protestant)

I think because they encountered so many objections and obstacles their special bond and love remained strong all through their 60 years of marriage and proved everybody wrong.

After getting married my parents moved to a rented house in Limassol and my dad traveled to Episkopi and back every day.

In July 1961 they became parents. My mum was 19 and my dad 21

The last photo, which was crumpled, dad had in his wallet for 59 years.

Even when he was dying, he asked for it and was put in his pajama pockets.