Ada Broadbent

Ada Broadbent was the ancient aunt of Albert Tatlock who he invited to his wedding to Alice Pickins in September 1969. Upon finding out that the vicar, the Reverend Vernon Lingard, would be driving to the service from Preston, he asked him to collect the old lady from her house at 31 Bloomfield Road, Ecclestone. He did warn the man of the cloth though that she was blunt spoken and called a spade a spade “with embellishments”.

The vicar duly collected her in his ancient car which broke down in a remote country lane. Ada asked him if he’d tested the electricals and had to join him in thumbing lifts from unresponsive drivers. At one point, hearing the sound of an engine approaching, they hopefully stood in position to beg a lift…only to see a plane flying overhead.