The secret to a long and happy marriage is to take the good with the bad, as there would inevitably be ‘‘more good times'', a Dunedin couple say.
The advice came from Ted (88) and Mildred (87) Evans, who celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary yesterday.
‘‘[Mildred] was the best thing that ever came out of the war,'' Mr Evans said.
‘‘I didn't let her go. I was very, very lucky.''
The pair met in Birmingham, England, during World War 2 through Mr Evans' sister, with whom Mrs Evans was friends.
It was love at first sight.
Mrs Evans (nee Phipps) followed Mr Evans to New Zealand in 1949 on an assisted passage.
Despite Mrs Evans being very homesick, the couple elected to stay in Dunedin and get married.
They were married at Wesley Methodist Church, in Hillside Rd, South Dunedin, in 1950 and lived in Bathgate St for 42 years before moving to Bay View Rd.
They had never been back to England, but both sets of parents also moved to New Zealand and were present at the wedding.
The couple found employment at steel foundries Wilkinson Callon, A and T Burt and Hillside Railway Workshops.
Mrs Evans said the couple had disagreed on things during their 65 years but never let things ‘‘get too big''.
They have a son, John, and two grandchildren, Shay and Courtnie.
They both led active lives to this day, Mrs Evans said. ‘‘We've got much slower but we still do whatever we want to do.''
The pair would celebrate the milestone with a family dinner on Saturday.
