Cake costs more than the wedding
A pristine wedding day bill uncovered by a Black Country couple showed their big bash in 1959 cost less than the cake to mark 50 years of marriage.
Costing £50 and three shillings, the catering bill for the 90-guest reception at the wedding of Albert and Ann Cross was considered lavish at the time. But the couple, now both aged 70, were stunned when they found a cake bought to mark their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday cost £65 - more than £10 over the cost of their entire wedding.
The couple, of Dilloways Lane, Willenhall, found the bill while looking for some old photographs of their wedding day, which was held at St Leonard's Church in Bilston on March 28, 1959.
Their reception was held at Sankey's Canteen – a restaurant for workers of the stampings tool firm in Bilston where Ann also worked as a typist.
Mr Cross said: "We just found the bill this week and it is in pristine condition. It is really interesting to see the difference in the price of things now.
"Although at the time it was not a cheap reception by any means, my wife's parents spent a lot of money on it."
The bill, paid to Harris Catering, of Hordern Road, Wolverhampton, shows how there were 79 adult guests at £45 and 4 shillings and 9 pence while there were 11 children at £3 and 6 shillings. The cake stand cost 6 shillings to hire and flowers 11 shillings and three pence.
On top of the catering bill Albert's family paid £35 which bought two 18 gallon barrels of Atkinson's Mild and Bitter.
The couple marked the occasion of their special anniversary on Saturday with their three daughters, Alison, Adele and Andre and their five grandchildren at The Ramada Park Hall Hotel in Goldthorn Park, Wolverhampton.
Mr Cross added: "People spend thousands of pounds on their weddings now, it is unbelievable.
"But we were more than happy with our wedding day."
