NORRIS and Gladys Knapp celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, 14 January.
The couple met in England when Norris was 18 and Gladys 17.
“My parents were out of the house the day Gladys and I met. I saw her sitting in the cinema and knew she was the one,” said Norris. Norris (85) is from Victoria, Australia and Gladys (84) was born in the UK.
Thinking back on the day they met, Gladys said: “He came up to me and said ‘I’ll see you round the back.’ The Knapps married on 14 January, 1950 in Stanmore, England and moved to South Africa in October 1976. They have been residents of Montclair for 20 years.
Norris had a career in the navy and went on to do engineering, while Gladys was a dress machinist and later quality control. The Knapps are a family of seamen – their children Paul and Susan are former Royal Navy.
On their 60th wedding anniversary in 2010, the couple received a letter from Queen Elizabeth. “That was quite a surprise,” said Gladys.
Reflecting on 65 years of marriage the couple say the secret to a long marriage is patience, especially when you get older. “My mother used to say never go to bed after an argument,” he said. Gladys enjoys ‘crafty ladies’ on Tuesdays at Woodlands Bowling Club while Norris is a member of Durban Wanderers Bowling Club and enjoys reading. They also have three great grandchildren.
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