Dupen’s celebrate diamond anniversary

HILLCREST couple, Peter and Greta Dupen, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on 28 July with great fanfare as they received a personalised letter from her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

They were both born during the depression in the 1930s and lived through World War II and this,the couple believed was what created an iron-strong will that allowed them to keep gong against all odds.

They grew up in the same village of Oulton Broad in England and although they attended the same primary school, they were completely unaware of each other’s existence. Peter was granted a scholarship to Lowestoft Grammar School and Greta moved on to a public school. It was only in their early teens that they got to know each other when they met up through the Boy’s Brigade and the Girl Guide groups at their local church, St Michael’s.

Greta worked with her older sister at a photographer’s shop before taking on the position of a buyer at a large linen store. Peter was an apprentice electrician until military service called on him in 1953. His electrical experience destined him for the Royal Corps of Signals and after first fighting the east coast floods and months of training, was off to stem the incursions of communist guerrillas in Malaysia and Singapore for two years. He returned to Lowestoft in 1956 and married Greta, the love of his life, that same year. While they were on honeymoon at a house on Lord Knowsley’s estate, Peter was recalled for a further six-month military service during the Suez crisis.

Greta continued her job as a buyer and Peter’s skills enabled him to become a factory manager at a television manufacturing plant. He was later head-hunted by the top brass in the television industry and they moved to South Africa in 1973 with their only son, Stephen. After the TV boom, Peter was transferred to Johannesburg and spent 18 years in the manufacturing industry before starting up his own electrical spares business. He retired in 1996 and the couple returned to KZN in 2007. They are blessed with two grandchildren, one great grandchild and another two are expected soon.

Peter is an active Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Hillcrest and is a competitive bowler in the Highway area. Greta enjoys bowls and doing crosswords. “I think it’s understanding and tolerance and we tolerate the diversions,” laughed Peter, as he explained the secret behind their strong partnership.

To celebrate their anniversary they spent the weekend at the Oribi Gorge Hotel with their South African family.