A LOVE like Phillip and Thora Swart’s, which has stood rock-steady for 67 years, is an inspiration to every romantic soul.
The couple met in 1946, in a world coming to terms with the atrocities of World War 2 and when public transport consisted of trams and rickshaws.
He, a dashing 19-year-old lad, went to meet a Mr Fraser who was selling pigeons down the road.
“That is when I met her,” he said with an automatic smile, remembering the day he meet his bride-to-be, 18-year-old Thora.
“That was the Saturday and we went out that night to the cinema and straight away love just bloomed,” said Thora, staring affectionately back at him.
“We courted for about four years,” said Phillip, “before we got married,” said Thora, finishing his sentence.
The pair exchanged vows on 25 March 1950.
“While we were engaged, we started paying off our furniture and then we got married at Greyville Methodist Church. About two years later, we had our first child,” she said.
The family has since grown to include three children, eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
They lived in Stamford Hill before moving to Woodlands and have been on the Bluff for the last decade.
He started his working life as a postman and then took up an apprenticeship to become a plumber. “I am still doing a few odd jobs now and I love doing it,” he said.
She worked in a printing firm. “I was earning more than my husband, but that was not a problem. We worked well together.”
As the transport system advanced to trolley buses, then finally to the buses that we see today, their marriage and family evolved too.
“Our house was like the honeypot. All the children brought their friends there and everybody got on well,” she said.
The family remains close-knit, despite many members being overseas.
“Like any marriage, you have your ups and your downs but you sit together and you sort it out,” she said. “We’ve had quite a good run,” he said looking back on their lives together.
“We battled at first but we got through it and it has been wonderful. I think we have had a very good marriage and an understanding marriage,” she added.
They said young couples facing obstacles should sit down and talk about it, whatever the problem is.
These wise words come from genuine experience and turmoil.
“I got a big lump and they said you’ve got lymphoma cancer and in about three months, you’ll be dead.”
Phillip went through 10 rounds of chemo to battle the dreaded disease. “And that was 12 years ago,” he said with a grin and a chuckle.
“And he is still climbing on the roof and doing plumbing today,” she added, despite his rapidly-approaching 90th birthday.
“My hobby is my work and I enjoy doing it still.” Phillip also used to enjoy going fishing and ski-boating.
Eighty-eight-year-old Thora delights in knitting blankets for the underprivileged, which she has been doing for about 20 years.
“I take them to church and they distribute it, or my one daughter-in-law collects some and hands them out to homeless people,” she explained.
“It’s been a good life. We say every day to us is a blessing. The older you get, the stronger your love life gets.”
Read about other long-time loves:
Cavanaghs blessed with lifetime of love
Love and laughter for diamond anniversary couple
Hope lives on as the Hopes celebrate Diamond anniversary
Partners in life and business celebrate golden anniversary
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