Wigan borough couple share fascinating connection from the week they were born

Every lunchtime, Brian and Lynne Gerrard, go for a lunch-time drink at the Cart and Horses in Astley where they enjoy a chat with other regulars and share the day’s news with landlady, Elaine Brooks.

Recently, the Leigh publican discovered that while the husband and wife may have been an item for 53 years, their connection in fact goes back 74 years to St Mary’s Hospital, where they were born just a few days apart.

Lynne, who is a retired secretary said: “I met Brian when we were both 18. We were at a parish youth club in Leigh and really liked each other.

"But at that time we had no idea we were in the same hospital at the same time, days after our birth.”

Lynne was born September 21 1947 and Brian, who worked in time and motion analysis, was born six days later. They married in Bedford Church, Leigh in 1969.

It was by chance that the couple, who have two children and four grandchildren, were both born at St Mary`s.

As well as serving patients local to central Manchester, the hospital is also a specialist centre for pregnant mothers with more complex medical conditions .

It was for this reason that both mothers, who lived in Wigan, were sent there: “My mother was in her 40s – which was considered older and more complicated for pregnancy, and Brian`s mum had a heart condition which is why they weren`t just sent to their local hospitals.

“We never knew each other growing up as Brian lived in the centre of Leigh and I was brought up further away from the town centre in Butts Bridge.”

The couple only discovered their connection when Brian went to ask Lynne`s father, William, for her hand in marriage at the age of 21, three years after they had started courting.

Lynne added: “My mum, Lilly, recognised Brian because he looked like his mother, Mary.

"Mum told us that both she and Mary had been at St Mary`s at the same time. So we were literally babes in arms together.

“It`s weird that they were in the same hospital at the same time. What are the chances of that?.”

Now with the pair being retired, a key part of their routine involves a visit to their local.

As they enjoy their daily drink they still laugh at the fact they have such a long standing connection.

Landlady Elaine said: “When they told me about it, I was amazed and fascinated.

"I sat down and listened to the whole story, I couldn`t believe they`d been in the same hospital and the same ward and never known until they met by chance.

"It`s one of the things I love about chatting to our regulars. We all feel so at home together and it`s amazing what lovely stories you hear.”