A newspaper wedding page from October 1973 lay under the lino of a Gillingham kitchen for almost 50 years until it was recently uncovered during decorating.

Curious what happened to the newly-weds, KentOnline tracked down three couples to see how their lives turned out.

After 48 years of wedded bliss, one couple got an unexpected trip down memory lane when they opened their Medway Messenger newspaper two weeks ago.

There on page three was a picture of Kieron Stewart and his bride Carol, captured on their big day just after tying the knot.

The Stewarts were among scores of newly-weds featured in an old newspaper retrieved from under the lino of a house being decorated.

Gran Gillian Mardel uncovered the copy of the now defunct Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham News in her mum's home.

She placed the faded copy of the Wedding Album page on social media and was amazed at the response from people who recognised themselves or a relation at their nuptials.

The Stewarts first heard about the blast from the past after being deluged with calls and texts from family and friends.

Retired plumber Mr Stewart said: "We must have had about 12 people contact us.

"We have a photo here, but it was so nice to see it in the paper from all those years back."

At the time, the now 69-year-old was working for the MoD in Chatham Dockyard as a painter and decorator and his new wife was as a clerk for Gillingham Council.

They met when he was 19 and she 17 as he swept her off her feet at The Central nightclub in Featherby Road, Gillingham, later to be named The Avenue and then Bar Rio before it was knocked down to make way for housing.

Kieron proposed to Carol, nee Walker, a year later and they wed the following year at Holy Trinity Church, Twydall, and, fittingly, had their reception at the Central Hotel where they first met.

The couple went on to have three children, Rachel, 47, Rebecca, 44, and Richard, 35, along with five grandchildren, Joshua, 22, Cameron, 15, Harry, 11, Gabby, 11, and nine-month-old Kieron.

On the day, Kieron wore a blue suit bought for about £40 and sported a dapper bow tie while Carol, now 67, forked out £30 for her gown.

Kieron, who had fashionable longish locks, said he still has blond hair and his wife is "as beautiful as ever".

He said of his happy marriage: "We just get on and work as a team.

"I can understand some couples don't want to get married these days, but we did. I say live and let live."

He was living in Mount Road, Chatham, and Carol in Lyminge Close, Twydall, before they wed and, after temporarily living with her mum, they moved to a house in Mount Road. They now live in Chattenden.

Kieron is a Chelsea fan and they both enjoy watching rugby union.

Bride Priscilla Rose was left speechless when she walked up the aisle to take her vows.

Nerves got the better of the 18-year-old and when the big day arrived to wed Roy Harris she lost her voice and just about barely managed to mutter "I do".

Now, 66, she also recalls how the groom's tie was skew-whiff and she had the urge to straighten it at the altar of St Justus Church, Rochester.

The couple met through her brother who brought Roy back to their home in Beaulieu Rise, Rochester, for a coffee to chat about their scooters.

Priscilla was just 15 at the time and still at school while 18-year-old Lordswood resident Roy was training to be a plasterer.

She bought her gown for about £100 which she handed down to her sister when she got married.

The reception was in the hall attached to the church in The Fairway.

With nowhere to live they lodged in her parents' caravan for six months which they also took to Dymchurch for a week's honeymoon.

Priscilla worked in a bank in London before they started their family – daughters Lynette, 44, and Louise, 37, came along.

Roy has lost his dark hair and is virtually bald and the fashionable handlebar moustache has long gone.

They have lived in their current home in Pimpernel Way, Weedswood, for more than 40 years, having started off in a flat with no bathroom or washing machine.

Priscilla added: "It's not all been plain sailing. Roy is set in his ways and we have different interests, but that seems to have worked.

"Being self-employed there have been times when Roy has been out of work. We have had arguments when we have not talked for weeks. But now if we do have arguments we don't dwell on it. Life's too short."

The couple have five grandchildren, Sophie, 22, Robert, 21, Sonny, 16, Chloe, 15, and Tommy, 10.

Another couple's marriage has been quite the adventure – from a chance meeting in a pub one evening to having "fan girls" crash their wedding and now their old wedding photo appearing.

Mandy Lacy described her "shock" at seeing her and her husband, Barry, 67, featured in the Messenger.

Their photo was taken as the newly-weds took off in their car to their reception.

Their daughter Tammie, 45, was the first person to spot her parents after seeing the article.

Mandy said: "She told me 'mum look at this, it's you and dad' and I thought 'what have I done?'

"It was just sort of luck really, seeing that after all them years. It has now surfaced all this time later.

"My grandson said 'look grandad has hair' and my grand-daughter did cheer me up saying I looked really young there."

The Lacys have two children, Tammie and Aaron, 40, and four grandchildren, Chloe, 18, Charlie, 14, Fleur, 10, and Jude, one.

Recalling their big day on September 22, 1973, Mandy had only turned 18 the previous month.

She added: "I thought it was a big adventure. It was a beautiful wedding. We could invite all the family.

"It was a lovely day. I look at the dresses now and think it was a pity they weren't around back then.

"It is quite funny when I look back. I had a three-tier wedding cake and it cost £5, my bouquet cost £3 and then the extras for button holes were only £1 each."

Talking of looking back, Mandy said they did have some wedding crashers: "We were having our photos taken and having a laugh and I could see all these girls at the top of the steps crying. I thought who are they?

"Barry said 'they are my fan girls from football, they think I look like George Best' and I just thought 'I wish'."

Their grand-daughter Chloe is currently the same age as her grandmother was when she wed but Mandy says she has no regrets.

"You can't have regrets, that just eats at you all that time. I was happy to do what I done," she added.

Mandy and Barry met in The Woodman pub in Weedswood and still live in Medway all these years later and have lived in Devon Close, Princes Park, Chatham for around 39 years.

Talking about how their romance started, the now retired 66-year-old said: "It is strange really. I went to a pub with my friend who was looking for her boyfriend and she didn't find him but I met Barry. It just went from there."

'Barry said 'they are my fan girls from football, they think I look like George Best' and I just thought 'I wish'.'

Their first date was to visit Barry's auntie in Gillingham when they were only 16 and 17. But what is their secret to a long marriage?

Mandy says it is working through your issues and said "it was harder to throw a marriage away" back then.

Although it has not always been plain sailing, she adds: "It has its ups and downs. As you get older you get less tolerant of people.

"He does annoy me sometimes but he is a good bloke. I never want for anything. He is a good father and grandfather."

As for Gillian, of Kingswood, Road, Gillingham, who found the old newspaper, she was delighted to learn of the couples' responses.

Gillian explains what happened when she put photos online

The 50-year-old said: "It's lovely people have got in touch after seeing the article and after such a long time.

"I have lived in Gillingham most of my life so I was hoping there would still be some couples still in the area.

"We have had so much gloom and doom, it's nice to have a feel good factor in the news.

"I even had a woman from Canberra in Australia contact me on Facebook to say she recognised somebody."

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