Daily Mail - 07.08.2019

Daily Mail, Wednesday, August 7, 2019 Page 23

Killed by speeding car, girl who

lef t Afghanistan for better life

Hardly a day apart in 80

years ... the couple with

UK’s longest marriage

Still in love:

The couple

in their

care home

JOAN and Jack Bare had been

married for only a matter of weeks

in 1939 when they were torn apart

by the outbreak of war.

Engineer Mr Bare was posted to

Portsmouth, leaving his new wife

dreading tragic news as German

air raids targeted the port.

Although he returned from

service in one piece, the couple

swore they would never be

separated again.

Now aged 102 and 100, Mr and

Mrs Bare have spent every night

since under the same roof – and

have just celebrated their 80th

anniversary, meaning they could

be Britain’s longest married

couple.

Such is their

devotion

that

when

they

were

recently told they would have to

go into a care home after suffer-

ing falls, they agreed only on

condition they were given a

shared apartment.

The great grandparents, origi-

nally from Kendal in Cumbria, say

the secret of their marriage is to

work through their differences.

Mrs Bare said: ‘My advice is to

talk about things and don’t go to

sleep angry.’

Mr Bare added: ‘We are very

lucky to have found each other.’

The couple’s only daughter Gill

Skelton, 75 – who has herself been

married for 52 years – said: ‘Mum

and dad never spent a single night

apart after the war.

‘Mum was very worried when

dad got sent to Portsmouth that I

don’t think they ever wanted to

be apart after that.’

By James Tozer

A GIRL of six was killed

when she was hit by a

speeding driver just months

after her family moved to

Britain from Afghanistan

for a better life.

Daljit Khalsa had been walk-

ing hand in hand with her

mother Raki and her older

sister when she let go of her

mother’s grasp and went to

cross the road.

She suffered head injuries after

being struck by a car doing 35mph

in a 30mph zone. She was taken to

hospital but later died.

An inquest heard she had poor

eyesight and hadn’t been wearing

her glasses at the time as they had

been broken the previous day.

Daljit and her family had moved

to Slough, Berkshire, only two

months before the tragedy on

October 26 last year. They had

moved from Helmand province

seven months before that and had

been living in Newcastle.

A forensic investigator told the

hearing that it was likely the little

girl had run into the road and the

driver did not have time to react.

Kevin Spiller said: ‘Daljit was hit

by the front of the car, not the

side. Even if she was a step ahead

while holding hands the mother

and other daughter would also

have been hit by the side of the

car. It is not possible that they

were holding hands.’

The driver of the VW Passat,

Tomasz Oklinski, said in a state-

ment read out to the inquest in

Reading: ‘When I was told the girl

had died I was so sad and I couldn’t

believe what had happened.

‘When the accident happened I

was so shocked because I hadn’t

seen any children or other people

on the road. I am so sorry for the

family and I wish I could change

what has happened.’

Daljit had just started at

Cippenham Primary School in

Slough having previously gone to

the Riverside Primary School

in Newcastle.

In a tribute, her family said:

‘Daljit has left behind her parents,

elder sister, grandparents, uncle,

aunt and their two sons.

‘Daljit was very kind, caring and

friendly. She made many friends

at her school and was very pas-

sionate about studying.

‘She enjoyed learning the

English alphabet the most and

wanted to learn the language

very quickly.

‘Her favourite poem was Johny

Johny Yes Papa and her favourite

cartoon was Masha And The Bear.

Whenever we eat chips and eggs

we always remember her because

it was her favourite dish.

‘Daljit enjoyed playing with the

ball in the park and was very fond

of going on funfair rides.

‘We will always remember our

daughter and she will forever be in

our hearts.’

Recording a conclusion of death

by a road traffic collision, Berk-

shire assistant coroner Alison

McCormick said: ‘I know that in

the accident she was not wearing

her glasses which could have

affected her ability to judge

whether it was safe to cross

the road.

‘But it is just as possible she

didn’t even look, it’s possible she

may have crossed the road in the

impetuous way children do.’

Daily Mail Reporter

Tragedy: Daljit Khalsa

V1

Big day: Jack

and Joan Bare’s

wedding on

August 3, 1939

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