Every day is Valentine’s Day
Shakespeare wrote ‘‘journey’s end with lovers meeting’’ but for two people, their meeting would ignite a journey that would continue for over 50 years.
Valentine’s Day, February 14, is celebrated everyday for Waikato love birds Grenville and Joyce Stoker, who marked 56 years of marriage this year.
For some, love takes time to grow but at 19-years-old, Grenville knew in an instant that 17-yearold Joyce was the one.
‘‘A friend of mine said, ‘we are going to a little village for a dance on Saturday night’,’’ he said.
The dance, in their home country of England, was in a hall, with a band on the stage, and all the boys and girls standing on opposite sides of the dance floor. ‘‘In walk two girls,’’ he said. ‘‘One blonde haired girl, and a dark haired girl, and they sat down on the opposite side,’’ he said.
‘‘I nudged my mate and said, I am going to marry that (blonde) girl. ‘‘And I did.’’ But Joyce wasn’t quite so taken with the confident young bachelor.
‘‘I liked him, but I wasn’t that keen - because he brought another girl.’’
Having brought the other girl 40 miles (64kms) just to get to the dance, Grenville did the right thing.
He took Joyce home, then he dropped the other girl at home.
He asked if he could see Joyce the following day, but she declined.
She told him she was visiting her dad in hospital.
He asked which hospital and then they went their separate ways.
The next day when Joyce and her mum walked out of the hospital, there was Grenville in his car, waiting to see her again.
‘‘I said to my mum, ‘he wants to take me home’.
‘‘She said ‘ he can, if he takes me as well’, and he did.
‘‘We have been together ever since,’’ she said.
In 56 years they have had two children, moved from England to New Zealand and now live in Matamata.
They have welcomed four grandchildren and two great grandchildren to the family.
Now they both enjoy travelling the world when they can.
And when they aren’t overseas, they drive around New Zealand in their motorhome.
The journey together through Waikato couple Grenville and Joyce Stoker share their advice for long-time romance.
Communicate properly with each other, don’t bottle up problems. Treat every day as special together. Make time for the ‘corny stuff’ people enjoy together. Be tolerant of each other. Give lots of kisses and cuddles. Don’t save romance for Valentine’s Day, find ways to make every day special. the decades has not always been smooth, but Grenville said love is always there.
He believed each day was an opportunity to show love and affection to one another.
‘‘We mark everyday special day.
‘‘People ask why we have been together so long - and I say it’s because she is such a good chef,’’ Grenville said.
Grenville said the key to a happy marriage was communication and it’s the advice he offered to young couples.
‘‘You have your arguments, which always happen and you get over them.’’ as a