MY parents married in 1943 and during the wartime, certainly in Bolton 22 crt gold wedding rings were very scarce so mum's original ring was not purchased from Prestons.
The Prestons connection began 25 years later, when to mark their Silver Wedding anniversary in 1968, dad bought mum a lovely platinum wedding ring from Prestons.
In 1974 my parents home was burgled and all mum's jewellery, including her engagement ring, and cheekily, the dressing table drawer which housed the family jewels, was stolen. So a beautiful replacement sapphire and diamond ring appeared, again from Prestons. My parents celebrated 70 years of marriage, before dad passed away in 2014 but mum, now in her mid 90s still wears her rings daily.
By now a family tradition had been established and dressed in a chic number from my great aunt's "Remelle's" store, (some readers will remember that) my fiancé and I shopped for my sapphire and diamond from Prestons in 1975. The wedding rings followed in 1977, and I am delighted to say we have worn the same rings ever since.
Unfortunately we will miss the passing of the era — Prestons' closing down sale, as we have lived in New Zealand since 1987 and learned of the closure via newspaper cuttings sent to mum by a kind Boltonian relative.
Audrey Moonlight
Whitby
New Zealand
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