50 years and still counting

DESMOND and Sally Nicholls of New Germany have been married for 50 years and will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday, 9 July.

The couple met in 1960 on the beach at Scottburgh where they lived. Des was 19 and Sally was 15.

They married in 1966 at the Scottburgh Methodist Church after Des had completed his apprenticeship at Renishaw Sugar Mill and Sally had qualified as a teacher at Durban Teachers’ Training College.

Walking into their home you are welcomed by the warmth and sweet aroma of cakes baking in the oven and the beauty of the garden that Des takes very good care of.

Soon after they married they settled in Ashley where Des worked at Thomas Barlows and Son and Sally had a teaching post as Grade 1 and 2 teacher at Sarnia Primary School.

Their first two sons, Michael and Bruce, were born while they were in Pinetown at the only hospital in the area at that time, St Mary’s Hospital, Mariannhill.

In 1972 Des was transferred to Empangeni and their third son, Grant was born there.

After a short stay in Vancouver Canada, they returned to Pinetown in 1976 and stayed in New Germany where they still live today.

They maintain that for any marriage to last 50 years both partners need to respect and accept each other for who they are; love each other unconditionally and, as the years pass, have tons of patience.

Since retiring Des has kept busy first with his own pet shop in New Germany and later with his garden service. Now he enjoys growing orchids, doing odd jobs around the house and being Sally’s ‘delivery man’ for her baking business.

During Sally’s 42 years in education she taught first at Sarnia Primary School in 1966, Ashley Primary School Primary School 1967/68, then ran her own nursery school in Ashley until their move to Empangeni.

In Empangeni she taught at a pre-school. On their return to Pinetown in 1976 she taught at Cygnet Pre-Primary in Westville, then New Germany Primary School and was privileged to move to Lyndhurst Primary School at its opening. The last 22 years in education were spent at Ashley Primary School, where her duties as teacher included being HOD of First Phase, Acting Deputy Principal and Acting Principal. Her first love has always been the little Gade 1s. She finally retired in 2007. Now she keeps busy in her new venture of baking birthday cakes and many other goodies for friends and customers. For the past 30 years she has loved and enjoyed singing in the choir at the Pinetown Methodist Church.

Des and Sally said they have been blessed with three amazing sons, Michael, Bruce and Grant, three loving daughters-in-law, Angela, Angela and Nadine, three beautiful granddaughters and three awesome grandsons.

Des said, “Sally has always been there to support me and she is a wonderful, loving, wife, mother and granny.”

Sally said Des has always been a hard working, generous person who would help anyone in need. He has been a loving, supportive husband and a very proud father and grandfather.

“Our marriage vows, trust and faith in God have been an important part of our life together,” they said.

Their sons have organised a family lunch to celebrate their anniversary.