1:20pm Sunday 21st March 2010
By Alex Hayes
ONE of the oldest swingers in Edgware celebrated 60 years of marriage with a family party yesterday.
Musician Ronnie Findon, 82, and wife Jeanette, 79, were joined by former MP Michael Portillo at their party to celebrate the Diamond wedding, with 140 friends and family.
The pair first met in 1944, when Jeanette was just 13 as Ronnie played in a band at her youth club. However, it was not until three years later they actually started courting.
Ronnie said: “She was just a young girl in the corner when we first met. Then I was called into the RAF in 1946 when I was 18, but on my first leave I went to a dance and that's where we met again.
“I asked her to dance and that was that. I went off but I started writing to her. I was demobbed in 1948 and two years later we were married.”
While in the RAF Ronnie was playing in the regimental band, and after leaving took up music professionally, playing the clarinet and saxophone in dozens of bands including the Joe Loss Orchestra.
However, far from his busy gigging pulling the pair apart Jeanette says it has helped keep them together.
She said: “Even now he's out most nights rehearsing or playing, but that's what keeps it fresh. When we see each other it's always quality time.
“He used to play on cruise ships so we used to tour the world, after a while it got a little bit boring eating caviar and drinking champagne.
“One time on tour in Germany we stopped at a cafe late one night, Ronnie went to wash himself but when he came out the bus had left. It wasn't until we were a little way down the autobahn I realised he wasn't there, I thought he was in the toilet on the coach.”
The couple have also lived in Brooke Avenue all their married life, moving to their current home 54 years ago.
However, it has not all been plain sailing with their oldest son Gary taking his own life aged just 15.
Jeanette said: “That really hit us hard. We didn't talk about it for about 10 years and we never found out why he did it.
“Michael Portillo was a great friend in his class, as was Clive Anderson, and in 2008 Michael made a TV programme about what happened. It obviously hit him very hard as well.”
Their other son, Andy, took on the musical gene and now plays in the orchestra for the musical Oliver, while hos two sons are also keen musicians.
Ronnie added: “I think we disagree about most things under the sun, but in the end one of us always gives in.
“I think to have a successful marriage you have to be able to make each other laugh, and that's what we have done for the last 60 years.”
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