A TROON care home resident’s wedding dress, which was shipped from New York in the 1950s, has made a 21st century renaissance at her grandson’s wedding.
Mansfield Care’s Belhaven House resident, Netta Hastings, 95, has shared a piece of her one-of-a-kind dress after part of the garment was sewn into the hem of her granddaughter-in-law’s wedding dress and floral bouquet.
Netta did this as part of a gift as she was unable to attend the wedding of grandson Laurence and granddaughter-in-law Rachel due to restrictions.
Shipped over from the US in 1953, the satin dress travelled from New York to Kilmarnock as WWII clothing rations meant Netta couldn’t buy a dress in Scotland.
Netta’s daughter, Sandra Hastings, said: “There were still rations at the time as the country was still recovering from WWII so finding a real wedding dress was unheard of. Crowds gathered just to see it.
“It wasn’t just a wedding, it was a special occasion for everyone so having a piece of the fabric in my son and daughter in law’s wedding is a bit of a legacy, seeing the dress move through generations.”
Married to Alexander Hastings, an RAF pilot during WWII, the dress was handpicked from a shop in Times Square by Netta’s sister, Margaret Proudfoot, who lived in New York at the time.
Sandra added: “It’s been great to have this piece of the past be a part of the present, and include Netta in the
ceremony in such a symbolic way. I was a bit worried as Netta couldn’t come to my son’s wedding, but I think the
staff at Belhaven House have made a real effort to celebrate the wedding and talk about how a piece of her was
going to be a part of the occasion.”
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