‘Caring about each other’ key to marriage
IT may not have been love at first sight 65 years ago, but Aileen and Ron McGregor still appeared smitten with each other as they celebrated their blue sapphire wedding anniversary yesterday.
They met as teenagers on a train to Christchurch but Mrs McGregor (nee Hewitt) did not like Mr McGregor because he was ‘‘annoying and wore a stupid hat’’.
Mr McGregor never wore the ‘‘stupid hat’’ again, which soon won her over, and the pair married in 1952.
The key to such a long marriage was ‘‘caring about each other, compromise and not going to bed angry’’, Mrs McGregor said.
She said there was nothing special about their love and they just ‘‘got on with life together’’.
Mrs McGregor jokingly said she was impressed Mr McGregor had ‘‘put up with her all these years’’, while Mr McGregor wondered aloud how he dealt with her for 65 years.
Mr McGregor worked at the Dunedin City Council and Mrs McGregor at Whitcombe and Tombs, now known as Whitcoulls.
They lived in one of the first houses in Halfway Bush for more than 50 years and had four children together.
They have 13 grandchildren and 14 greatgrandchildren.
Their son, Stephen, said they were ‘‘fantastic parents who worked hard for their family’’.
After a big party for their 60th wedding anniversary, the couple were keeping it low key this time around and were planning a celebration in the new year.