Christmas for Shropshire expats: Jan and Keith Beddows in Canada
Christmas in Canada is very different from Christmas in Ludlow, say Jan and Keith Beddows.
"Usually the weather in Canada is quite cold, with lots of snow. Ludlow when we were kids didn't have much snow , usually heavy frost.
"We will spend the day with family, exchanging gifts and enjoying a very big meal. Turkey with all the trimmings.
"We married in March 1965 in St Lawrence church in Ludlow. We emigrated to Canada a month later to embark on a new life.
"Jan worked in a textile factory and Keith worked in construction. We were 19 and 20 years old. We went on to have two children , Sharon, now 49 and Garry, 48.
"Jan is now 71 and Keith is 70. We have five wonderful grandchildren, Jeremy 24, Katie, 22, Christopher 21, Mitch 20 and lastly Joel 18.
"We just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary and made a trip home to celebrate. We visited Wales, the Yorkshire Dales,and Scotland where we attended the Edinburgh Tattoo and back to the Grove at Craven Arms, Shropshire.
"We then stayed in the Annexe for a week on the property where we met 50 years ago.
"We live in Beaverton, Ontario which is a rural community. We really enjoy our life in Canada but ultimately there is no place like home and Ludlow is always home to us.
"Merry Christmas!"
