Isle of Wight couple split for 50 years finally tie the knot

Jeannette Steer, who turns 78 later this month, was born and raised in Cowes and has lived on the Island for most of her life, attending Cross Street schools and Cowes Secondary Modern.  

Len Charles Allbrighton, 79, moved to Cowes for Perivale in Middlesex when he was five. 

He went to Denmark Road schools before joining Jeannette at Cowes Secondary Modern – although they did not know each other – and later worked for Mac Fisheries in Newport, Ryde and Poole. 

Deciding to work as a cadet nurse at St Mary’s Hospital when he was 17, progressing to pupil nurse at 18, and, with the following year’s intake, met Jen in 1963 – working together on the same ward. 

The pair dated for a few months before Len asked Jen to marry him, but he decided he hated ‘The Big Freeze’ of 1963, opting to move to Australia in June. 

The plan was for him to head down under for the compulsory two years, get a plot of land, have a house built and then come back to the Island, marry Jen, and take her back with him to Australia. 

Back then, however, the age of consent was 21, and Jen’s parents would not allow her to leave – so she called off the engagement. 

The couple went their separate ways, with Len meeting another woman in Australia and Jean, another man on the Island, both getting married. 

After returning to the UK, Len became a district nurse in Stevenage, while Jen also worked as a district nurse on the Island. 

More than 50 years later, Len had been divorced for 27 years and was living on his own in Stevenage when he decided to look up Jen to see if ‘she was still alive’. 

He set out to find out her married name and whether she was still living on the Island. 

Travelling back to the Island, Len went to the library to find out more details, and after finding her address, went and stood outside her house. 

Jen came outside to find out who the stranger was ‘looking up at her house’, but after 52 years, she did not recognise him. 

He explained to her who he was, but it was not until Jen’s husband and Len’s ex wife had died that they got together again.

A year later, the pair got engaged for a second time, and Jen moved to Stevenage, where Len had been living since 1972.  

Len and Jen showing off their rings at the registry office on Saturday (Image: Newsquest)

Jen said: “I’m over the moon! It was a long time coming, but we’re here now, and that’s it!” 

The wedding was held 60 years to the month since the couple met and five years to the day since Jen moved to live with Len (January 11). 

After finally getting married, Len said: "We had a wonderful wedding on Saturday, the weather was fine, and we had a reception at the Cromwell Hotel in Stevenage."