It was love at first fright

Hallowe’en 1963 was a pretty significant date in the lives of Anne and Eddie Rodwell.

It marked the first time that the two Londoners set eyes on each other at a festive party in St George’s.

Now, exactly 50 years after that first meeting, the couple, who have now been married 49 years and have three children, are back on the island to spend Hallowe’en with family.

Half a century ago Mr Rodwell had been working for Cable and Wireless and living in Flatts, while his wife-to-be was fresh off a plane from England and about to start work at Prospect Girls’ School.

Parties

Mrs Rodwell told the Sun: “Back in those days there were parties all the time. And I first met Eddie at this Hallowe’en party that took place at a flat in St George’s where one of the Cable and Wireless guys worked.

“From memory I think the first thing we talked about was an iron, and Eddie said I could borrow his if I like. But he was a very attractive prospect because he had a car, and not many people had a car in those days.

“So although I did not take him up on the iron, he would often give me and my friends lifts about the island and it all grew from there.”

The couple returned to England in 1965 to get married at Mrs Rodwell’s parish church, and ended up leaving Bermuda a year later when Mr Rodwell’s contract expired.

In the coming years Mr Rodwell’s job in telecommunications took him and his family all over the world including Antigua, Barbados, the Maldives and even the Middle East.

But in 1989 the family returned to Bermuda again where Mr Rodwell took on the role of general manager for Cable and Wireless.

It was during this time that the couple’s middle daughter, Julie, met her husband to be Keith Marshall who live in Bermuda with their two children today.

Mr Rodwell said: “We try and make it back to Bermuda every two years to see the family and catch up with old friends.

“Bermuda has been a very significant place for us. You could say it all started here.

“We have seen the island change over the years but we still love it here.

‘It has still retained many of its charms — it has a beautiful climate, beautiful beaches and very friendly people.

“I have also spent nine years of my working life here, which is the longest I have spent in one place so we have a strong link with the island.”

Mrs Rodwell added: “I’m not sure we’ll be doing anything special to mark 50 years since we first met.

“I usually dress up as a witch for the grandchildren, but we have not planned anything.

“But it is quite something to think that everything began for us here in Bermuda exactly 50 years ago.”