Ridleys ring in a milestone celebration
Cowies Hill's Mike and Joke Ridley look back on 50 years' marriage as they celebrate their golden anniversary.
A SIMPLE wink sealed the deal for Joke Ridley 52 years ago and now, Joke and her husband, Mike, celebrate their golden anniversary.
The Cowies Hill couple met in 1963 through mutual friends at an outing to the lighthouse in Scheveningen, Holland. Mike, who was from England, worked in Holland at the time. “We went bowling one night and Mike winked at me and I knew that was it,” Joke said.
On 1 August 1964 Mike proposed to Joke and the couple sealed the married at a church in Haig on 27 February 1965. They then honeymooned in Switzerland.
“Joke fell asleep on our way to our destination. I woke her up when we arrived, pretending I had gotten lost, and asked if she knew where we were. She didn’t even stumble, as we went to the area where she went to finishing school,” Mike said.
In 1966 the couple welcomed their first child, Sandra (de Oliveira), followed by Michael in 1967 and then Lisa (Allanson) in 1970. They have three grandsons and one granddaughter.
In 1967 the couple moved to England, but Mike didn’t like it back at home. In 1970 they then decided to move to South Africa for two years, but they never moved back again.
“My marriage to Mike has been beautiful. God knew he was the right person for me,” Joke said.
“The mere fact that we’ve been married for 50 years speaks volumes. We’ve had our ups and downs, but it’s been perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better partner. When I decided I wanted to marry her, I knew it was for life,” Mike added.
When asked what the secret to their marriage’s success was, the couple said it was thanks to their close knit group of family and friends: “Having family all over the world we had to be a tight unit.”
They will celebrate their anniversary with family and friends at a dinner.
