As this challenging year draws to a close, Brits have been sharing the happy moments that helped them get through the tough times.
In what has been a year to forget for many, a competition launched by Tic Watches has seen Brits share what made them smile most in 2020, and now their favourite entries have been revealed.
The watch and sunglasses specialist ran the competition to see what made the nation smile the most in 2020 and chose from over 200 entries.
Marion Tanner, 53, from the Isle of Wight, was crowned the winner for her heart-warming story about a miracle birth.
Having lost one daughter to leukaemia, Marion’s other child was told that she would never be able to have children, but during lockdown, she received the best message a mother could possibly wish for.
“My daughter and her husband had been trying for children for eight years but had been told it was impossible. They had started to consider adoption,” Marion said.
“But then during lockdown, we received a random WhatsApp photo of a baby scan saying, ‘guess what?’
“We are so looking forward to the arrival of their son, who they are going to call Ted. My other daughter would have been so pleased.”
As Marion’s lovely news was deemed Tic Watches’ favourite story from the entries, she will now receive a brand new watch from them worth up to £200.
We could never rank these amazing and heart-warming stories, but you can see the winning entry along with the other top nine below.
It has been such a difficult year, so we hope these beautiful stories manage to bring a little joy to your day 💚
1) Marion Tanner, 53, from Sandown on the Isle of Wight
Marion’s tale of a birth against all odds won the competition, and baby Ted’s entrance into the world will live long in the memory of their whole family.
2) Richard Davies 76, from Ashby de la Zouch
After living with cancer for over a year, Richard received the most incredible news from his doctor and was given the all-clear. He says the moment will stay with him and his daughter forever, and they celebrated with a bottle of bubbly.
3) Cara-Jane Hunter, 48, from Huntingdon
Cara-Jane’s whirlwind tale of long-distance romance has all the makings of a Hollywood movie. In February, she dreamt about an old flame – the “love of her life” – so text him when she woke up.
“He then flew out to Vietnam to be with me for his 61st birthday! I couldn’t stop smiling.”
4) Tiffany Hodgson, 52, from York
Tiffany’s wedding was cancelled twice because of coronavirus, but she eventually got the ceremony she had dreamed of, albeit with some drama.
“Third-time lucky, we finally got married with all of my family there. However, my Mum, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, collapsed at the dinner table and was rushed to hospital. Thankfully she was sent home later, so we could spend the evening of our special day all together.”
5) Sarah McIvenny, 55, from Herne Bay
Sarah has had a tricky few years but had some brilliant news in July.
“I finished my cancer treatment, chemo and radiotherapy, and it’s the best feeling in the world!”
6) Rachel Smith, 36, from Blackburn
Rachel and her daughter started a wonderful community initiative that brought smiles to the faces of all their neighbours.
“We created a fairy door trail in our local woods during lockdown as we thought it’d be fun for families when they couldn’t do much else. Most of the community joined in and started making their own fairy doors. It was great to hear all the positive comments and see it become such a big thing.”
7) Iorna Lyons, 39, from Glasgow
Iorna came home one day to a lovely surprise from her two sons, who wanted to express their thanks for all her hard work during lockdown.
“I arrived home from work after a stressful shift to be met by my two smiling boys, who had decorated the front of the house to show how proud they were of me, and to thank all of the other key workers.”
8) Oliver Wheatley, 31, from Hull
When lockdown meant he couldn’t see his girlfriend for several months, Oliver got creative to celebrate their anniversary.
“On a field near her home, I dressed up a wooden pallet as a fancy table, laid out blankets and cushions, and put lanterns all around. We then had a socially-distanced anniversary dinner with wine.”
9) Christina Finlay, 32, from Derry
Christina’s niece had an incredibly difficult start to life but overcame her hardship to provide her family with an incredibly happy moment.
“My beautiful niece, Katie May, was born during lockdown with hip dysplasia so had to wear a harness until she was six months old. It was heart-breaking watching her trying to get comfortable, but when she finally got the all-clear and could take the harness off, she had such a massive smile.”
10) Julia Linsley, 58, from Gillingham
During lockdown, Julia wasn’t able to see her eldest daughter, who is a young adult with autism, so made sure their first reunion was a special one.
“After lots of testing, we were allowed to take our daughter for a special birthday treat for her wellbeing. We chose a giraffe feeding experience, which she found so amazing. Her response made our hearts soar!”
Danny Richmond, Managing Director at Tic Watches, said: “2020 has been an incredibly challenging year, and so we wanted to shine a light on some of the more positive moments.
“It was great to hear that Brits managed to find times to smile despite the pandemic, and we are delighted to provide our winner Marion with a brand-new Olivia Burton watch to commemorate her daughter’s miracle pregnancy.”
To see more feel good stories from the competition you can visit their website.
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