Joyce Toll and Barry Ackerman were married at All Saints’ Church, Friern Barnet, North London, on July 19, l958.
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It was touch and go for Joyce Toll and Barry Ackerman as to whether their wedding would go ahead. “Barry’s father had a heart attack five days before and was rushed to hospital,” Joyce says.
“The evening before, his father had another massive heart attack and was rushed into Intensive Care. I woke that day not knowing if a year’s planning of church, wedding venue, florist, cars, photographer, etc, would need to be cancelled at the last second.
“Fortunately Barry’s father survived – the wedding went ahead – and we had a wonderful day.”
Joyce and Barry met in their late ‘teens at the local Church Youth Club and shared the same interests: ballroom dancing, table-tennis, theatre trips, and picnic outings.
They gradually spent more time together. Barry was studying at The National College of Rubber Technology in London, and Joyce worked at the headquarters of The Girl Guides Association in Buckingham Palace Road, London.
“During our courtship we enjoyed going to dances and the cinema once a week,” Joyce says. “We also had happy times in friends’ homes, chatting, playing records, teaching each other new jive steps.”
Joyce can’t recall Barry proposing. But she remembers him asking her father’s permission. Guessing the reason for Barry’s visit (he had telephoned first to ask if he could call), Joyce and her mother went into the kitchen to make tea, leaving Barry with the job.
“As for our honeymoon, we spent one night in Bournemouth (having booked two weeks), but decided to return home because we were so concerned about Barry’s father.”
They have two sons, Paul, and Russell, and three granddaughters, Elouise, Evelyn, and Simone – all teenagers.
“We moved to Australia in the 70s for Barry to take up the position of managing director of what was then Empire Rubber. This move cemented our marriage. Paul went straight to Melbourne University, and Russell later followed to Monash.”
Joyce returned to the UK annually to see family, until health became a problem.
“We feel our marriage has lasted because we share similar interests (Art Gallery, reading, travel), but have always respected each others’ space,” Joyce says.