A Rotary club is not usually where you would expect to find romance but for four members of Almancil International Rotary Club (AIRC) this is precisely what happened. Claire Rusbridge, a widow, joined the club in the summer of 2015 hoping to make some new friends.
In September 2015 she went with a few members to Cork in Ireland for a Rotary Convention. It just so happened that Alexander (Sandy), also widowed was also at the convention and spotted Claire. The attraction for both was instant and soon afterwards Sandy joined Claire in Portugal and transferred to become a member of AIRC. It didn’t take him long to propose and they were recently married at Os Agostas in Santa Barbara de Nexe.
The Wedding was attended by upwards of 160 guests, including, of course, fellow Rotarians, family and friends. Almost 100 guests made the trip from Ireland to wish the happy couple well. Father Mark Wilson conducted the ceremony in great Irish style. Local singer Roni McNabb entertained the guests throughout the afternoon and early evening and, following a delicious Wedding supper, the Portuguese band The Six Irish Men had everyone up and dancing.
Claire and Sandy weren’t the first couple to find romance at the Club. In January Uschi Kuhn and Peter Thorne had their partnership blessed at the Church of São Lourenço in Almancil.
For details of membership (romance not guaranteed) please contact Hermes at www.rotaryalmancil.org
