Sheffield 46-year romance began in Linda’s city college days

Sheffield couple Graham and Linda Etches laid the foundations for a happy marriage when they met at the city’s Richmond College.
Graham and Linda Etches on their wedding day, two years after they met at Richmond College, SheffieldGraham and Linda Etches on their wedding day, two years after they met at Richmond College, Sheffield
Graham and Linda Etches on their wedding day, two years after they met at Richmond College, Sheffield

Secretarial student Linda caught the eye of builder Graham when he was working on an extension to the college.

She said: “It must have been fate that put us together. We just started seeing each other.

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“Two years later, we got married, had two children and Bob’s your uncle, job’s a good ‘un!”

Richmond College, Sheffield, 1966Richmond College, Sheffield, 1966
Richmond College, Sheffield, 1966

The couple, who now live in Stannington, met 46 years ago. Linda said: “It’s happy memories, really. When I first looked at him, I thought ‘I don’t like him’.

“I used to say to the girls in class, ‘Is he looking?’ Eventually I got talking to him and he said, ‘I’m going your way, I’ll give you a lift’.”

Linda was 17 and Graham was 13 years older and she remembered everybody saying “it’ll not last” but the couple proved them wrong.

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She said of her college years: “They were happy times. I loved it. I made some nice friends, they were lovely, happy times and I enjoyed it.”

Linda got a secretarial job at a solicitor’s office but absolutely hated it. She now works as a teaching assistant at a school.

Graham worked for Sheffield Works Department, previously the Public Works Department, for more than 30 years, then took early retirement.

Linda said: “When I read in The Star that you were looking for stories from Sheffield College, I looked across to Graham and said, ‘We’ve got a story to tell’!”

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Sheffield College and The Star are encouraging ex-students to share their memories and photographs. The 10 people sending in the most interesting memories, assuming they live in easy reach of Sheffield, will win a dinner for two at the college’s award-winning Silver Plate Restaurant, hosted by chief executive and principal Angela Foulkes, and Star editor Nancy Fielder.

To share your memories, email [email protected] or write to Julia Armstrong, Sheffield Star Retro, The Balance, Pinfold Street, Sheffield, S1 2GU.