Anniversary twist in tale for groom John

John Torrie and Christine Black in 1969

Picture: F MENZIES

Rightful owner John Torrie was "amazed" to see the pair of black-and-white snaps of his wedding turn up in the Evening News after they were mysteriously sent back to the former offices of the Edinburgh-based photographer F Menzies, on Palmerston Place.

In a spooky twist, our article appeared on March 1 - exactly 42 years after Mr Torrie's wedding to Christine Black took place at Carrick Knowe Church.

Although the couple have split up, Mr Torrie, who now lives in Peterhead with his second wife, Pat, said he was "very pleased" to have them back.

The 62-year-old revealed that his brother, who still lives in Corstorphine, had spotted the photographs in the Evening News.

He said: "I was amazed. It was really quite strange, especially as they showed up in the paper on the same date we got married.

"My brother, who was my best man, called me up and said 'You'll find this quite odd, but your wedding pictures are in the paper'. I thought that was spooky.

"The other picture is of my mother-in-law, my ex-wife's sister and her niece. We didn't just have the one set. I can only assume that my mother-in-law sent the pictures down to her sister in Derby as she couldn't make the wedding.

"Why they have showed up now, I have no idea."

The director of Net Resources Ltd, a web design and development company, found the snaps, complete with original envelope and five penny stamp.

Mr Torrie said he had lived in Leith between October 1965 and November 1968, while his wife was based in Corstorphine. The couple then moved to Aberdeen, where he was employed as a British sea- fishery officer with the Scottish Government. Eventually they moved to Oban, where his ex-wife still lives with her new husband.

The couple split up in 1984 and Mr Torrie was transferred to Peterhead in January 1987.

Mr Torrie said: "My ex-wife isn't aware of the photographs yet, but my son, who is in Paisley, will give them to her. I don't think she's ever seen the picture of her mum Irene and sister Sandra, so that will be nice.

"My new wife found it a bit of a surprise. She said she'd never have recognised me."

He added: "Seeing the photos was very unexpected. Goodness knows why somebody put them back in the post, but I'm glad they did. It's a bit of our history. It's nice that somebody bothered to get them back to us, and I would like to say thanks."

The photos were discovered by director Sarah Dodd after she received them in the post last year.

They were lost among paperwork until being rediscovered a few weeks ago.