She thought he looked nice. He thought she was "a very presentable, pretty woman" who sparkled.
Mr and Mrs Downes, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary yesterday, laughed as they remembered that night.
"He came over to where I was sitting with two of my girlfriends. I thought 'I hope it's me he is going to ask to dance', and it was. I was happy," Mrs Downes (82) said.
There was an initial complication to their courtship - Betty lived in Roslyn and Jim in St Kilda. Mr Downes (84) solved that by "walking hundreds of miles" to visit her before upgrading to a motorcycle.
They courted for four and a-half years before marrying at St John's Anglican Church, in Roslyn.
Both remember their wedding day as a happy occasion. Mrs Downes, who ran a small sewing business, made her own wedding dress after a dressmaker told her the corded satin fabric she had chosen was too difficult to work with. She also made dresses for her two bridesmaids and another for Mr Downes' mother.
The wedding ceremony was at 6pm. With most of the day to fill in, Mr Downes and some of his friends went to watch Otago play cricket at Carisbrook.
"We left about 4pm, went home to where I was living in Northeast Valley to get changed, then went to the church. I was pretty nervous, but right on cue Betty walked in the door," Mr Downes recalled.
The couple bought a section in Mosgiel while still engaged and had a home built, moving into it when it was completed a few months after their marriage.
They have been immersed in Mosgiel ever since, participating in activities as diverse as school committees, amateur dramatics, Lions, bowls and cubs and sharing an interest in animals and gardening. Mr Downes was a Mosgiel Borough councillor for 27 years and had one term as a Dunedin City councillor, and Mrs Downes was on the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board for a time.
Mrs Downes said while they were both strong-minded people who had had some "beaut rows" over the years, they had always on got well and their 60 years together had flown by.
Teamwork and respecting and supporting each other were the secrets to getting along, she said.
"My advice would be to never let an argument or difference of opinion carry on. Reach some sort of agreement. And respect each other's opinions, needs and wants."
Mr Downes said he "had listened to Bet and it was all true. I couldn't add anything except share, share, share".
"You're always listening to me. You're probably sick of it after all this time," Mrs Downes replied with a laugh.
The couple have two children, Graeme and Mary-Jane, and three grandchildren. They will celebrate their anniversary later this month with a party expected to be attended by more than 50 family and friends.
