A COUPLE have revisited the Ipswich building where they first met 40 years ago.

A COUPLE have revisited the Ipswich building where they first met 40 years ago.

Harold and Liz Pinkney, who now live in Cheshire, couldn't resist visiting the YMCA in Wellington Street as a way of celebrating the anniversary of their first encounter.

Back in the late 60s the weekly disco at YMCA was a hotspot for young singles to meet each other and the Pinkneys were both regular visitors.

But it wasn't until a fateful Sunday night in March 1969 that the pair finally crossed paths. Mr Pinkney said: “The YMCA was a good place to meet girls.

“I was eyeing up the talent and I caught sight of her. I waited for the first slow number to come on, which was 'Half as Nice' by Amen Corner, and I asked her to dance.”

Mrs Pinkney, n�e Gant, was a 15-year-old Northgate Grammar School pupil at the time. She said: “I asked his name and he made me promise not to laugh if he told me. When he told me it was Harold I couldn't help laughing because it was a very unusual name in those days.”

The pair hit it off and were married in April 1972 at St Thomas the Apostle Church, in Cromer Road. They moved to London the same day and eventually settled in Cheshire in 1983 where they had two sons, Mark and Jonathan.

The Pinkneys' visit to the YMCA brought back fond memories despite the building drastically changing appearance over the years.

Mr Pinkney said: “I knew it had changed over the years but I didn't realise how much. It bears no resemblance to what it used to look like but we still had a lovely day.”

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