GLAMOROUS gran Frances Maloney always does things in style.

Beauty contestant Frances left Leigh for the life in California after being whisked off her feet by United States Air Force retired Master Sergeant Sam Pastoucha.

Sam, who served at RAF Burtonwood during the Second World War met ex-Leigh Town Hall worker Frances at a Burtonwood reunion in Warrington.

Within half an hour of meeting her Sam vowed he'd marry her!

He wasn't kidding either. And as a result of him coming over here, Frances is now over there enjoying the high-life as Mrs Pastoucha.

Frances, who will be 80 in mid-summer, also worked for a spell at Burtonwood. She was waiting for a taxi home to Hulme Road in Leigh when Sam introduced himself.

Romance blossomed. Frances married Sam in San Bernardino, Las Vegas and now they are enjoying a great life together in Highland, California.

"It's a marvellous life in California," Frances assured us when we gave her a mid-morning call as husband Sam packed his clubs for a day's golfing.

"The shops are wonderful, food and eating out is incredibly cheap."

But as she looked out on snow capped mountains from her West Coast home, Frances admitted she missed the Leigh rain.

"They call me 'the elegant lady' - and I put my complexion down to a lot of rain rather than sun."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.