Party marks amazing life story

It was a special day for grandmother-of-six Leda Whelan when she marked 60 years of British citizenship. Friends and family gathered to help celebrate.

They recalled the remarkable love story which brought her thousands of miles from Italy to a new life in the West Midlands.

Love blossomed when Italian Leda Biagetti met English soldier Geoffrey Whelan in 1944 during the Second World War.

The late Mr Whelan was serving in the Marche region of Italy with the 8th Army after the liberation of Senigallia, while Leda was stationed at the base to support the Allies.

Mrs Whelan, aged 84, from Redhill Close, Oldswinford, said: "I went to work with him doing a bit of typing for them. I could not speak English so I just copied what was written on the sheet but he could speak Italian.

"We fell in love and in 1945 he asked my father if he could marry me.

"But my father, being old-fashioned, would not allow it and told him to come back when he was not in uniform and everything had settled down.

"I was 20 at the time and in Italy, you had to be 21 to get married."

Five long years of love letters followed.

But the pair's romance went from strength to strength until in 1950, Leda's father felt they had proved the strength of their love and finally consented to their marriage. They had three children, Ann, Paul and Mark.

A party was held at St Peter's Centre, in Pedmore Lane, Pedmore, yesterday to celebrate the anniversary of Mrs Whelan's British citizenship, as well as her 85th birthday later this month.

Mrs Whela used to work at Owen Owen in Stourbridge.