Wedding venue recreates couple's big day 50 years on

Clive and Angela Jordan, of Wetherby, were invited back to The Mansion to celebrate their golden anniversary by hospitality specialists Dine, who now manage the Grade II-listed building.

The pair married in 1966, when the venue was owned by Leeds City Council, and at their reception they tucked into cream of vegetable soup, Aylesbury duck and apple sauce, stuffing with pomme Parisienne, creamed potatoes and peas. Dessert was peach melba.

The caterers recreated the menu with modern twists, such as a shot glass of brunoise vegetables as a starter, and the couple, who still regularly visit The Mansion to eat in its restaurant, were able to pose for photos taken beside the building's grand staircase - where their original wedding portraits were staged.

Clive and Angela met at the Westminster Bank on Park Row, when cashier Clive began chatting to his future wife when she called in as a customer. They enjoyed a whirlwind courtship and he bought an engagement ring just 10 days later - on the same day Winston Churchill was laid to rest.

They married at a church in Moortown before the reception at the then-Mansion Hotel, and lived all over the country before retiring to Wetherby in 2005.

“We thought it was a wonderful evening and we are so grateful to Dine for putting on such a lovely event for us. It was definitely the best, in every sense of the word, meal any of us have ever had,” said Clive.

“While the exterior of The Mansion looks very similar to when we got married, the inside is another matter and much improved. The remodelled rooms are elegantly furnished to a very high standard and the staff always look after us. We continue to create new memories at The Mansion which we recall with great fondness.”

Asked the secret to a long and happy marriage, Clive added:

“The secret is to say ‘yes, I agree’ and do as you are told. It’s worked for us!”