Saturday April 7 will see Brian and Aileen Grant reach a milestone not many couple reach, their 60th wedding anniversary.
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A pair of socks is what brought the pair together more than 60 years ago.
“My parents owned a farm on the Canowindra side of Cargo,” Aileen said, reflecting on when the couple first met.
“I was working at Finns store, I had been since I left school at 15, he came into the shop with an excuse to buy a pair of hockey socks which I don’t think he’s worn to this day”.
Brian confirms Aileen’s story admitting: “I’d seen her about a bit at dances and working at the store”.
“The only way I could talk to her was to buy some hockey socks, as I was playing hockey at the time.
“I gathered the courage to ask her out and we’ve been together ever since, I wonder where the time’s gone, it doesn’t seem like it’s been 60 years”.
The pair were married in Cargo church before heading off for their honeymoon on a road trip through inland NSW to Queensland across to Brisbane before driving back down the coast to Sydney and back home, all in a fortnight.
What’s their secret to staying by each others side for 60 years?
“You turn a blind eye if you don’t agree with each other and he probably turns a blind eye to me,” Aileen said.
“There is a lot of give and take and if you do have any disagreements you work it out,” Brian said.
Over the years the pair’s family has grown from their own seven children to include 17 grandchildren and also 14 great-grandchildren.
Both are looking forward to catching up with their friends and family at a gathering planned in Orange this weekend.
“We’ll have about 50 people in attendance, friends and relatives, as well as the kids, grand kids and great-grand kids,” Aileen said.
“It’s good, the kids like coming home, they come here every Christmas and get together, they are like a big group of friends.
“One of the great pleasures is to sit back and really enjoy the grandkids and see them having their own kids, its really special, it doesn’t come to a lot of people,” Brian said.
“I get the most pleasure out of my family and seeing them do well. You carry their joys as well as worries.”
Brian and Aileen had had some very special messages for each other.
“I just want to thank all our friends and family, he’s been a good mate and it’s been a good time,” Aileen said.
“You have your ups and downs, more ups then downs, we’ve always worked things out. I still lover her and I hope she still loves me,” Brian said.
