THE STORY OF US
THE BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS STAR AND HIS WIFE REMINISCE ON THEIR LOVE
Graham Ross will never forget the first moment he spoke to his wife Sandra. It was 1967 and Graham, just 20, was on a bus travelling from Sydney to Thredbo.
‘I managed to sit next to Sandra on this overnight trip,’ the now 70-year-old presenter recalls. ‘I couldn’t stop looking at her eyes – she has the most beautiful blue-green eyes.’
Sandra, also an acclaimed horticulturist, garden writer and broadcaster, vividly remembers their first meeting, too.
‘We talked all night,’ she says, adding with a laugh, ‘He did not stop, from the time we left Sydney to when we got to Thredbo! He’s always been able to talk. He’s adorable – he’s just one of those passionate people.
‘We’re complete opposites, as far as personalities are concerned – I’m so much more introverted, whereas he’s much more gregarious. But we complement each other in so many ways.’
It certainly didn’t take long for Graham to decide he’d met the woman of his dreams.
‘I realised this was something serious about a week later,’ he says. ‘I was really smitten. We got engaged about 12 months after that – I didn’t want to lose her.’
On December 6, 1969, Graham and Sandra exchanged vows in a memorable church wedding in Sydney, and honeymooned in – where else? – Thredbo.
‘It was the year of the moon landing,’ says Graham. ‘Our wedding was on a stinking hot day, but everybody looked beautiful. We had a big reception, which all of our friends came to.’
Over the decades, Sandra and Graham – now doting grandparents – have shared much joy, and also great sadness. None more so than when the couple’s first grandchild tragically passed away at birth.
‘When my daughter Linda’s baby died, it was the lowest point in our lives, without any shadow of a doubt,’ Graham says softly. ‘We all supported each other. We were also overwhelmed with the most amazing amount of love from our listeners and viewers. People are beautiful.’
In past years, Graham has also battled three types of cancer – bowel, skin and prostate.
‘I have tests all the time now,’ he says. ‘But I’ve come through it with Sandra.’
Indeed, Sandra has always been by Graham’s side, her support never wavering.
‘We’ve weathered so much together,’ says Sandra.
In December next year, the couple will celebrate 50 years of marriage. How will they mark the huge milestone?
‘When we were first together, we used to go to Mcdonald’s because we couldn’t afford the local Chinese restaurant,’ says Graham, adding with a chuckle, ‘So maybe we should go back to the Golden Arches for our golden anniversary!
‘Actually, I think we might go to France for a holiday – that’s where I’d like to take Sandra.’
As for the secret to their long and happy union, Graham and Sandra don’t hesitate.
‘You have to have a lot of respect for the other person and their opinion,’ says Graham.
Adds Sandra: ‘You’ve got to be good mates and there has to be, over the years, a deepening of the relationship. We’ve just gotten closer.’
One thing’s for certain – Graham still counts his blessings that he happened to be on that bus all those years ago.
‘I’m the luckiest man alive,’ he says, with a smile. ‘I’m married to my soulmate.’