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Northampton couple reunited with 1965 wedding photo found at charity shop

Esther Greenwood Margaret and John Lawes on their wedding dayEsther Greenwood
Margaret and John Lawes were married in Northampton in August 1965

A wedding photo from 1965 accidentally donated to a charity shop has been reunited with the happy couple just weeks before their 57th anniversary.

The photo, taken on 5 August 1965, in Northampton, was found at an RSPCA shop in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire.

Viktoria Brice found it at the shop and posted the picture on Facebook, hoping to reunite it with its subjects.

John and Margaret Lawes' daughter replied, and said they were delighted to have their precious photo back.

The couple were married at Queensgrove Methodist Church in Northampton and the photograph shows them on a street outside after the ceremony.

Esther Greenwood Margaret and John Lawes sitting togetherEsther Greenwood
Almost 57 years - and still as much in love

It is a mystery how the photograph ended up at the RSPCA's new Retro Rooms and Boutique shop in Wellingborough, but assistant manager Viktoria Brice found it while sorting through donated items.

"In my heart I felt this photo shouldn't be in a charity shop, and I wondered if I could find the owners - and then the magic happened," she said.

Within a day it had been recognised.

"It was amazing to see a photo of my mum and dad that I don't recall ever seeing before," said the couple's eldest daughter Esther Greenwood.

"Dad was always giving things to charities but even he has no idea how the photo ended up there.

"But, they look so dapper."

Esther Greenwood Wedding photograph after being posted backEsther Greenwood
The photo was duly returned on Thursday - the man in the background is their wedding car chauffeur
Esther Greenwood Margaret Lawes with old wedding photoEsther Greenwood
Mrs Lawes was delighted to have the old photo back, her daughter said

John Lawes, 26 at the time of the wedding, was an English teacher at a secondary school, and Margaret was three years younger, and a nurse.

They later went to Nigeria as missionaries, taking baby Esther with them, and went on to have three other children.

Esther Greenwood Margaret and John Lawes photographed in a restaurantEsther Greenwood
Margaret Lawes is now 80 and John Lawes is 83

The picture was posted to Esther, who took it to her parents in Northampton.

Mr Lawes said: "We can't thank Viktoria enough for finding our photograph.

"We're both thrilled to be reunited with the picture and it's lovely to reminisce about our very special day."

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