LOVING Westville couple, Megan and Harold Harvey celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday 5 June.
They met each other at the end of 1950 at a New Year’s Eve dance in Escombe. “It was his birthday on 1 January so I went up to him and wished him and then he asked me to dance,” said Megan.
“What she forgot to mention was that she was on a blind date that night and after our first dance, her date was never given another chance to step in after that. Poor chap. So I did the decent thing and drove the poor bloke home,” said Harold. The two of them drove down to the beach front to watch the sunrise.
Four years later they exchanged wedding vows at the Lambert Road Baptist Church, were married by Reverend Glyn Tudor, and held their reception at the marine Hotel. For their honeymoon they decided to go to Uvongo Beach for a two week honeymoon.
Harold was a land surveyor which led them on journeys throughout South Africa during their time together. Their first stop was in Vryheid, they then move to Empangeni, where their first daughter Gale was born in 1955, and then back down to Durban. The couple relocated to Zambia for two and a half years and then chose to settle in the rolling hills of Westville.
“We chose Westville because the house was available and it was like living in the country back then as the only tarred road was Blair Atholl,” said Megan. They have lived in the same home since. They have five children, Gale, Kevin, Clive, Bryce and Glynis and 11 grandchildren.
Harold was an avid cricket player and Megan kept score for the team and they were both members of the Chiltern Tennis Club. “We both absolutely love sports, whether it is on the TV or we are watching the games live in a stadium or school level rugby,” said Megan.
The couple are also very active members at the St Elizabeth Church and have been part of the congregation since 1960.
To celebrate the milestone in their marriage they had a family dinner and will soon host another celebration with friends and family. “The main ingredient for such a long marriage is a good sense of humour,” said Harold. His wife agreed and added that faith is equally as important. “Faith… faith will get you by as well as love for one another and love for your family. You stand by your man because God has a plan.”
