Hope lives on as the Hopes celebrate Diamond anniversary
At that moment the couple clicked and they knew were meant for each other.
WHILE on a holiday at the Cathedral Peak hotel in 1954, a man and woman who crossed paths that day had no idea their future would be intertwined forever.
Jean Forrester and Justin Hope crossed paths have been inseparable since their first fateful meeting and are now celebrating 60 years of marriage.
The Hopes were no strangers to each other, prior to their meeting both worked on either side of South Coast Road in Mobeni. Justin attempted several times to organise a meeting with Jean, to no avail.
It was fate that day in August 1954 when Justin saw Jean arrive at the hotel he was staying in. “It was as if luck was on my side, I knew something beyond me had a hand in this. For months I had been trying to get her attention. I used to save a seat for her in the bus everyday but she never took it,” said Justin. At that moment the couple clicked and they knew were meant for each other.
Two years later on 2 June, 1956, the two married at the Central Methodist Church in Montclair. They lived in Woodlands from 1958 where their three children were born. They later bought a house in Yellowwood Park in the 70s and lived there for 41 years. “In 2011 we moved to the Tafta Park in Bellair where we are now very happily settled and have made some lovely friends,” said Jean.
The Hopes have gone on many adventures together, one being on their golden anniversary in 2006. “We celebrated the milestone with our son and his family in Basingstoke, UK. I remember we were at a restaurant in a place called Woking, then afterwards we enjoyed a live show of ‘My Fair lady’. It was a wonderful time spent with family, and this anniversary will not be any different. We are celebrating our diamond wedding anniversary with a luncheon for a few friends at Tafta Park,” added Jean.
Justin was a keen tennis player when he was younger and played tennis at Montclair, Yellowwood Park and Greyville tennis clubs.
Their three children Jennifer, Craig and Sandra have given them eight wonderful grandchildren. Craig and Sandra and their families now reside in the UK.
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 876 3179
The Southlands Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
