Charity hunts pensioner who left handwritten note....

Charity hunts pensioner who left handwritten note in 1950s wedding dress

The message reads: "I wish any lady who takes this dress to have a life with her loved one, 56 years like I did, happy years"





A charity shop is searching for a pensioner who donated his wife's 1950s wedding dress - with a heart-wrenching handwritten note attached to it.

The dress is believed to have been handed in to the St Gemma's Hospice Garforth Bridal and Occasion Wear Charity Shop last week, when the shop first opened.
It was only when area manager Aysha Alton and shop manager Sue Denton were going through the donated dresses that they noticed the penned note attached to the dress with a safety pin.
The message reads: "I wish any lady who takes this dress to have a life with her loved one, 56 years like I did, happy years. I was a lucky man to marry a lady like mine."

The charity thinks the man must live locally, as they are a charity based in Leeds with 22 charity shops across the city.
The dress is unique as it appears to have been custom-made to fit the bride due to its intricate stitching and lack of a label.
Area manager Aysha Alton, 29, said: "We think it's a 1950s vintage dress because of the number of years mentioned in the note that was attached to it.
"When we saw the message that came with it we thought it would be a great idea to put it on social media and share the dress' story."
Since first posting on the charity's Facebook page about the dress on Monday, the charity have been contacted by people from all over the country and have had enquiries about it from as far as America.
There has been so much interest that St. Gemma's Hospice have decided to sell it on eBay, so that people who are not local to the shop will have the chance to buy it.

Head of communications Nicola Woodgate, 44, said: "The dress has really captured people's imaginations and the note really gives it some history.
"We believe that the gentleman it belonged to brought it into the shop himself, and we would love to be able to thank him for the beautiful dress.
"To pass the dress on and to donate something so special is the ultimate act of kindness, and we've been overwhelmed by the response we've got on social media."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11665294/Charity-hunts-pensioner-who-left-handwritten-note-in-1950s-wedding-dress.html