Our love is cast in stone: A lasting tribute to late husband who died of cancer

The finished relief means Anne Newton has a lasting reminder of the love she shared with Pete, her husband of 40 years.

The cast was made before Pete, 62, passed away a fortnight ago following a cancer fight.

The touching tribute includes a tiny gap between their hands, just enough room for Anne to place a bunch of flowers and turn her poignant reminder of their love into something even more striking.

“I am getting some lovely blue silk flowers,” she said. “I can’t think of anything more appropriate than a bunch of forget-me-nots.”

Pete’s funeral was held earlier this month. He had been suffering from lung cancer for more than two years. Eventually the battle became too much and the strain took an awful toll on his heart and other organs.

He died in a hospice ward not far from the couple’s home in Dalgety Bay, Fife, where they had raised their two sons, Mark, 35 and Stuart, 32.

Pete is gone, but as she copes with his loss Anne says the stunning cast of their hands is bringing her more comfort than she ever imagined.

“Pete asked me to marry him just five days after we met. I made him wait for an answer – all of two days,” said Anne, 59.

“I was 19 and he was 22. Now he will always be holding my hand, just as he has done every day.

“I keep touching his hand and looking at it. It’s a huge comfort.”

The unusual cast was specially made for the couple at the Edinburgh Casting Studio.

“You can see so much detail,” said Anne. “You can see the texture of the skin, the tiny crinkles between the thumb and first finger, all the creases and little bulges that make everyone’s hand so unique.

“I know my life will be very different now. But this will always be with me.”

The couple married in September 1976, just nine months after they first met.

But two years ago Pete discovered he had lung cancer. His left lung was removed but he soldiered on and even returned to work.

The start of the year brought devastating news. The cancer had spread, at first to Pete’s lymph nodes and then into his bones and adrenal glands.

They knew it was just a matter of time, and set about cramming in as many “bucket list” experiences as they could, taking holidays and going to concerts to see Pete’s favourite musicians.

The cast was intended as an early 40th anniversary gift from their family. “January would be the 40th anniversary of our first meeting. We had even bought the champagne to celebrate,” said

Anne, who works as a manager for Lloyds Banking Group.

The striking cast was made using a substance similar to that used to make a dental impression.

The couple held the romantic pose for a few minutes before plunging their hands into cold water.

The result is a poignant 3D snapshot in time.

Anne is now hoping to have copies made as a keepsake for her sons and her grandchildren, Ava, five, Keir, three and Jonah, just one.

Castings have been popular in the past among young parents wanting to capture their toddlers’ tiny hands and feet.

Artist Luis Forte, who made the model, said the studio is increasingly in demand for more unusual casts. Many requests come from women facing mastectomies.

Some hand casts involve whole families. The most they have done in one sitting is seven hands, from toddlers to adults, joined together to form a wreath shape.

“One woman adored her nine-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier and wanted a cast of her holding her dog’s paw,” added Luis.

The studio is now looking to train others in how to do body castings. “We’ve have hundreds of applications in the last month with an amazing variety of people applying,” Luis added.

For further information go to www.edinburghcasting.com