Ronald and Effie Shepherd are basking in 60 years of love shared between a devoted couple, who say love must be “unconditional”.
It has certainly been their proven recipe for a long, successful marriage. Ronald first met Effie while she was working for the Roberts family on a one-month assignment as housekeeper/nanny at their bay house in Bathsheba.
He pursued her all the way to her Brereton, St Philip home and married her in 1954. Six years later he was off to England to work with British Rail, leaving his young wife behind with twins. She joined him six months later and the two would go on to spend 43 years in London.
They returned to Barbados 19 years ago and settled at Ebenezer, St Philip. It was there they celebrated the diamond anniversary with relatives and friends.
Saffrey says ‘I Do’
Chairman and president of the Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society, Kemar Saffrey, took time off from the hectic job of caring for the less fortunate during the Christmas season to take a bride.
Saffrey married Andrea Babbington on December 6 in an afternoon ceremony performed by the Revd Dr Ian Chandler at Farley Hill National Park, with about 40 guests in attendance. The couple spent a brief honeymoon at Sandpiper Hotel before Saffrey was back on the job, hosting an event for the homeless a few days later.
Justin does the double
Former national chess player Justin Blackman recently graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with honours with a double major BSc in computer science and applied mathematics.
The former Queen’s College student represented Barbados at several international chess events, including the Chess Olympiad. His mother Jacqueline Hope and other relatives were there to share his joy on graduation day.
