Develings celebrate diamond anniversary
They grew up like twins who never knew each other.
ALTHOUGH five years apart, Paddy and Lilian Develing are like two peas in a pod and their similarities are what have kept them together for 60 years.
“We have so much in common, our parents even had the same carpet and same toaster, which was surprising, as they were not really the same age but had the same taste,” said Lilian.
Growing up, they both lived in houses numbered 27, and when they got married they lived at another number 27 again.
“As babies we shared a baby cot, the cot that was given to his mum for him was given to my mum by a mutual friend and our families didn’t even know each other,” said Lilian.
Some may call it a coincidence, but Lilian and Paddy see it as fate, “We basically grew up like twins who never knew each other,” she said.
The Develings met on holiday in Scottburgh; before then they never knew each other even though they both came from Johannesburg.
When they got back from the holiday, Paddy spent three weeks trying to track her down, “I didn’t tell him where I lived, he was much older and we had different friends, so it wasn’t easy for him to get hold of me,” said Lilian.
Finally he found a phone number, then asked her out on a date in February 1955.
One of their memories of early dating was that they debated who did the whistle on the High and Mighty movie, which they both loved, and it is still their favourite.
They secretly got engaged in May, and Paddy wanted to wait until her 21st birthday (16 November) to publicly propose. They married two months later on 14 January, 1956 at St Mark’s Church in Yeoville, Johannesburg.
The Develings have two children: a daughter, Patricia, and son, Ian, who both live abroad.
“When we moved to Hillcrest, I did book-keeping for the Ratepayers’ Association. The next year, I became secretary and treasurer, and the next thing I knew I was chairman,” said Lilian.
When the association couldn’t get members any more, it closed down two years ago. Lilian and Paddy both have a great sense of humour and they love and enjoy any kind of music. They also love reading and watching TV together, and enjoying good food.
“My father gave us a cookbook as an engagement gift, so we never had the same meal twice when we first got married,” said Lilian.
The couple’s favourite show is Murder Mysteries and their favourite food is calamari and roast: “We hardly had chicken because it was expensive those days – if your family had chicken they were considered wealthy,” Lilian pointed out.
When asked what their secret to a long-lasting relationship is, they said, “We just kept going, neither one of us wanted to give in.”
They said couples give up so quickly, but when there are tough times you have to give and take, “There were always issues, but we made it and the bond we had from the beginning saw us through,” said Paddy.
