South Yorkshire Times – Friday 17 August 1934

Thurnscoe Entertainers’ Wedding –Gawthrope & Atkins

Miss Vinnie Gawthrope, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey Gawthrope, 65, Clayton Street, Thurnscoe, and Mr. William Gawthrope, St. Helen’s Parish Church on Saturday to Mr. John William Atkins, second son of ex-Foreman G. Atkins, formerly manager of the Congregational Church, Thurnscoe. The Rector, the Rev. D. E. Hughes, officiated.

The bridegroom is better known throughout South Yorkshire as “Will Raymond,” ventriloquist and entertainer, and also in other parts of the country as a popular radio artist. By trade, he is a journeyman baker, in business at Kirkheaton, and incidentally made the wedding cake. The bride’s father is a surface official with Manvers Main Collieries Ltd. and Society at St. Helen’s Church, where he had the largest branch in the district. Mr. Gawthrope was Sunday School superintendent for over 25 years of both St. Helen’s and the Congregational Church, formerly churchwarden.

The church was crowded with old friends for the wedding. The bride, given away by her father, looked a charming figure in an oyster coloured, with head-dress, veil, and cluster of orange blossom. She carried pink butterfly roses. Her bridesmaid was Miss Nora Giles, of Thorne, who wore pink floral georgette, and there were also four attendants, Doreen and Cynthia Senior (cousins) and Jean and Barbara Shields, wearing pale pink satin with lace bonnets and carrying Victorian posies of sweet peas. Two page boys, Peter and Freddy Gawthrope, were in suits of white satin. Miss Giles carried a shower bouquet of sweet peas.

The service was choral, with Mrs. Hardywick at the organ, and the hymn, “Lead us, heavenly Father,” was sung.

The best man was Mr. Norman Laycock, of Kirkheaton, Huddersfield, and the groomsman Mr. E. Mitchell Nelson. Mr. Billie Stables, organist of Sprotboro’ Parish Church, was usher.

About eighty guests attended a reception at St. Helen’s Schools, the bride’s mother wearing a gown of silver grey crepe de Chine and lace. Bride and bridegroom left for a honeymoon in Oswestry, Lancs., the bride travelling in fawn. The bridegroom’s gift to the bridesmaids were necklaces, and to the page-boys sweater rings. Among the many presents was a set from the bridegroom’s Young Men’s Bible Class at Kirkheaton Congregational Church. The couple’s future residence will be 33, Moor Side, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield.