The message from Sir Alex Ferguson is framed in the hall of Irene Neal's home near Barnsley.
'Congratulations to Geoff and Irene on your 50th wedding anniversary for February 8, 2008. Couldn't let it pass without sending our own good wishes to you on this special day.'
It was a thoughtful gesture from the Manchester United manager, but Irene's wedding day in 1958 – and every anniversary since – has never felt special.
Twelve weeks earlier, her mother Lucy died suddenly of a heart attack.