Couples’ uncanny coincidence
Half a century ago, and half the world away, two couples said ‘‘I do’’.
On a rare day of London sunshine on July 23 1966, Al and Jill Green tied the knot, and not too far away, Rod and Frances Till did too.
For the next 45 years, the newly wed couples remained oblivious to the other’s existence.
They both had kids, travelled and emigrated to New Zealand in the 1970s.
It wasn’t until around five years ago the couples finally crossed paths when Jill and Frances met volunteering for Hibiscus Hospice.
They quickly worked out their uncanny link, and furthermore discovered they lived just down the road from each other in Hatfields Beach.
On Saturday, the Tills and the Greens - now good friends - made it to their 50th wedding anniversaries.
As it turns out, their wedding day isn’t the only thing they have in common.
Before Rod and Al met their wives, they both had their eyes on other women.
Al met Jill in a London flat, but it wasn’t her he was going to visit.
‘‘I went to see one girl and got married to her room mate,’’ he says.
And Rod’s story is all too similar - when a girl he fancied turned out to be taken, he was set up on a blind date with her cousin, Frances.
‘‘And the rest is history,’’ Rod says.
Both couples agree half a century has flown by, and have a few tips on how to last in marriage.
‘‘You have to have a sense of humour and tolerance,’’ Jill says.
‘‘And you’ve got to be best friends,’’ Al adds.
Never let the sun go down on your wrath never be afraid to say sorry, the Tills say.
Jill and Al celebrated their anniversary with a dinner with friends and moonlight spas at Peppers on the Point lodge in Rotorua, while Frances and Rod enjoyed a family dinner at Orewa with a surprise visit by their son from Australia.
Both couples have kids and grandchildren, and have no regrets about leaving the UK for a new start in New Zealand.
‘‘It takes some settling down in a new country, but we’ve got no regrets,’’ Frances says.
‘‘We may not ever be rich but our children got more opportunities,’’ Jill says.