Lifetime of memories
Audrey and Derek Millet recall the moment they first locked eyes at a youth club in 1948.
Audrey, 14 at the time, worked at the canteen.
Derek thought shewas a firecracker. But it wasn’t love at first sight. ‘‘She was the little dominant person behind the canteen, but she hated me,’’ Derek, 89, said.
‘‘She said I was stuck up and a snob. But we’ve lived an enjoyable life.’’
The Feilding couple had planned to bring up their 65th wedding anniversary on June 4with a trip to England.
However, coronavirus travel restrictions means they had to make do with a small gathering at home instead.
The milestone is particularly meaningful this year as Audreywas diagnosed with terminal cancer two weeks ago.
When she went to the doctor with a sharp pain in her groin, she never considered it could be fatal.
The 86-year-old has refused to let the grim outlook tarnish a lifetime of cherished memories, such as their first date at a social dance in 1950.
‘‘It’s just one of those things. What will be, will be,’’ Audrey said. The couple moved to New Zealand from England, in 1971, with their three boys.
The family has grown to include 10 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.
A nurse by trade, Audrey built a career out of teaching students and caring for the elderly.
When she came to Manawatu¯ in 1999, sheworked as amental health nurse at St Dominic’s in Feilding.
Derek, an architect, designed several nuclear power stations throughout his career.
‘‘I started [as an architect] when I was 16. It was in the days when no one knew what was going to happen with atomic energy.’’