Unconquerable enduring love
Empangeni couple Vera and Derek Blades celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year
PHOTO: Lyn Wilcox
EMPANGENI residents, Vera and Derek Blades, received more than they expected on the celebration of their diamond anniversary in March.
After 60 years of marriage, it was not only presents they received, but a letter from Queen Elizabeth II herself.
Vera and Derek were married at the tender age of 20, in the United Kingdom at St Johns Church in March 1954.
Since 1917, the Sovereign has sent congratulatory messages to people celebrating notable birthdays and anniversaries. Cards are sent to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday and every year thereafter, and to those celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary.
The diamond anniversary was first linked with 60 years of marriage during Queen Victoria’s reign. Queen Victoria celebrated her 60th Jubilee as a Diamond Jubilee, which made it stylish among high society to commemorate this anniversary as a diamond anniversary.
‘The Post Office sent a slip informing me there was a overseas letter waiting for me. I had my suspicions that it may have been about our anniversary, but my wife had no idea. She opened the A4 envelope and almost fainted. She was over the moon and her delight, delights me!’ chuckled Derek as he explained the day they received their letter from the Queen.
In August 1973, Vera and Derek Blades moved to South Africa where Derek worked at Dalmes Collieries, in Mpumalanga.
In 1984, they left the collieries and the couple moved to Empangeni where Derek sank shafts for Zululand Anthracite Colliery and carried on working there until he retired in 1995.
The couple has one son still living in Zululand.
Both Derek and his wife have always had a love for wildlife and, when working in Mpumalanga, they visited the Kruger National Park, on a number of occasions.
After moving to Empangeni, the Blades family spend many hours in Zululand reserves and in 1999, Derek became Chairman of the Umflozi Honorary Offices.
