How RAF Cosford museum cut-out of group captain started chain reaction of love for couple

"I am now a firm believer that everything in life is fated," said 85-year-old Norman.

"Somebody asked me if I had written President Nasser a letter to thank him."

The couple live in Bucknell, but Norman grew up in Langley and as a teenager did his National Service in the RAF, serving with 49 Squadron at RAF Wittering, near Stamford, for 18 months from 1956 to 1958.

The squadron, led by the then Wing Commander Hubbard, had been tasked with testing Britain's H-bomb in the Pacific in the spring of 1957.

The fateful day in the couple's romantic tale came in late October 1956. While Norman was watching a movie at the base's cinema, the screen went blank. Base commander Hubbard climbed on stage to tell them that President Nasser had taken over the Suez Canal, and they were now "operational" against Egypt.

The advent of the Suez Crisis meant Norman's usual weekend trip to Birmingham, where he had been courting a (different) young lady, was off. Awake on standby for 37 hours, he finally got some rest time on the Sunday and, being a lifelong cycling enthusiast, went for a ride locally.

"I came to a pack horse bridge over the river and heard some giggling and squealing in the River Welland below, and stopped to have a look."

There were three 16-year-old girls paddling.

"To cut a long story short, one of those girls married me."

The youngster who stole his heart was the then Sylvia Rands.

That encounter was to lead to a first date for which Norman put on his best suit and cycled five miles to her village to walk her three miles to the picture house in Stamford.

"In those days the girls were very much prettier than they are today," said Norman.

"Sylvia earned £4 10s as a shop assistant in Stamford, which was twice as much as I was paid as a skilled engineer in the RAF, so she paid for us to see the film, but I did contribute by buying the ice creams in the interval."

Cycling was to play a big part in their lives and continues to do so, although an accident in 2014 in which they were knocked off their tandem on the A49 between Onibury and Craven Arms has brought an end to their more epic trips.

Norman had a successful racing career and they are both record-breaking veteran tandem cyclists who have also done charity rides.

Sylvia, who is 83, continues to feel the effects of serious injuries she suffered that day.

"My arm is shorter than it was, and is all numb down here (indicating her lower arm), which is why I don't do long distances any more," she said.

The late Ken Hubbard was the captain of the Vickers Valiant bomber which completed the first live drop of a British thermonuclear bomb in May 1957 and his cut-out stands in front of the Valiant he flew on that day, which is part of the Cosford museum's National Cold War Exhibition.

Norman and Sylvia have been attending the monthly meetings of the Cosford branch of the National Service Association, RAF, for the last 16 years, with Norman being treasurer and Sylvia organising the raffle.