‘Now our 70th anniversary has arrived’
REACHING 70 years of marriage did not cross the minds of Joy and Owen Riley when they first said
‘‘I do’’.
The years had rolled by without much thought, Mrs Riley (nee Blomfield) said.
‘‘I guess these things happen, they come and they go, and now our 70th anniversary has arrived.’’
The pair first met at a dance which was held weekly at Georgetown Citizens Hall, in 1949.
Mr Riley remembered feeling drawn to Mrs Riley, despite her coming to the dance with another man.
‘‘I was rather reserved and not too good at socialising and Joy had a bright spirit which lifted mine.’’
His ballroom dancing skills caught Mrs Riley’s attention and impressed her, she said.
‘‘He was a clean, fresh man and he knew how to dance really well, and he treated me with respect.’’
But the pair did not decide to date until they met at another dance held at St Mary’s Church some months later.
‘‘We were both attracted to each other and we felt we would fit well,’’ Mrs Riley said.
Mr Riley offered to give Mrs Riley a ride home in his Morris Oxford after the second dance.
‘‘She agreed on the condition I would drive her sisters home too,’’ he said.
The couple dated for three years and got married at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church on September 17, in 1952.
‘‘In those days, weddings were held in the weekdays, and if you wanted to get married you had to ask for time off. So we got the Wednesday off, and it was a really nice wedding,’’ she said.
Their honeymoon was spent travelling to Dunedin, Nelson and then down to the West Coast.
They both believed the key to a successful marriage was to respect and forgive each other.
‘‘As a couple you have to be able to give in and say you're sorry and make up. We know we are not always right,’’ Mrs Riley said.
They had thoroughly enjoyed the span of 70 years together, she said.
‘‘I don't think we ever questioned the length of time. We enjoyed our kids and a family life, and we were faithful to one another.’’
They have six children, 20 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.