The year was 1929. Gladys had been Headmistress of Sheinton and then Broseley Infants’ School for seven years.  For six of those years she had been courted by Don Yates and in 1926 they had become officially engaged. Getting married would mean that Gladys would have to give up teaching and her independence, something she valued greatly!  Don was a farmer like her parents and she had lived with the unpredictability of the farming life.