19th June, 1943…

On this day 75 years ago, Francesca and Annibale (Joe) married. It was wartime, the first priest refused to marry them due to Annibale being an Italian internee, his father was interned, his mother in Italy cut-off from them in Australia. Francesca and Annibale were just 17 and 19, their partnership to be both in life and in business. The challenges to come they met with stoicism and compromise (particularly on Francesca’s part as for many women of the era).

They were married for 60 years and I was there to celebrate this final milestone with them that occurred a few months before Francesca died. By then, my grandmother was quite unwell and didn’t really perceive the letters of congratulations from the Queen and other dignitaries. But I watched my grandfather treat her with loyal, gentle care in a way that can be summed up by this, their only wedding photograph and I have so much admiration for their partnership that spanned all those decades. With love. xx