- When Vera Bird, 90, from Novar Gardens, South Australia, asked a boy out on a dare she never expected him to be her soulmate.
- Falling for his cheeky Aussie humour and gentleman like qualities, Vera fell madly in love.
- After seven decades together, Robert still dotes on Vera with a crumpet or cup of tea.
Here Vera tells her story in her own words.
Confetti fluttering down around us, I smiled, holding my husband Robert’s hand.
‘Thank you for coming to celebrate our love,’ I said, taking in the beaming faces of our family.
It was September this year, and our three children, Carol, 69, David, 66, and Wendy, 61, plus our eight grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren had all gathered in our backyard for cake.
I’d made a similar speech 70 years ago when Robert and I married, and now on our milestone anniversary it was amazing to think our love had lasted so many decades.
‘Oh, you old charmer.’
‘She’s still as lovely as the day we wed,’ Robert, 91, chimed in with a cheeky wink my way.
‘Oh, you old charmer,’ I replied, giggling.
Robert and I first met as teenagers.
In 1951 when I was 16, I’d moved with my family from the UK to Terowie, 220km north of Adelaide in South Australia, after my father took a job there as a builder.
With only around 300 people in the town, we soon got to know everyone.
The teenagers would all hang out together after school, playing games, and we’d attend dances at the local church.
One of the lads was 17-year-old Robert. He’d lived in Terowie all his life.
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He wasn’t the best looker! When I met him he had no teeth after suffering some dental problems the year before.
At first, I found him a bit annoying, always making silly jokes and getting up to mischief with his mates.
It was my girlfriend Dorothy who dared me to ask Robert out. By then, he’d got dentures.
Not one to turn down a dare, I did.
By the end of the evening, I was smitten.
‘We’re adding an extension for the three kids.’
I fell for his cheeky Aussie humour and, when I wasn’t doubled over in giggles, Robert was a perfect gentleman – opening doors and walking on the side of the street closest to the road to keep me safe.
I’d won the dare and, it turned out, the love of my life!
We’d go to dances together, and I’d watch Robert play the accordion in a band.
After two years of dating, in November 1953 he asked my parents for my hand in marriage, and they agreed.
‘Oh yes!’ I cried when Robert popped the question.
We were married at Malvern Methodist Church two years later, on September 3, 1955.
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I hired a dress – a stunning simple white gown that I wore with a hoop skirt, and together Robert and I exchanged vows in front of our family and friends.
Seeing Robert at the end of the aisle was the happiest day of my life.
Life was an adventure for us. After the wedding, we rented a railway cottage in Riverton, SA.
Two years later Robert, who worked as assistant shunter with the railways, was offered a job in Adelaide, and we traded the country life for the city hustle and bustle.
There we welcomed our first child, Carol, in 1956.
‘My beautiful wife.’
Our son David followed in 1959, and we completed our family with Wendy five years later.
Life was busy juggling young children, but we loved to travel when we could, with Robert’s work generously giving us free tickets on sleeper trains to Sydney, Perth and Alice Springs.
After a 46-year career on the railways, Robert retired in 1990, age 58.
With the kids all grown up and starting families of their own, we took the opportunity to travel farther afield.
We went caravanning to Darwin, Cairns and Tweed Heads.
And we took cruises around the crystal waters of the Pacific Islands.
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Shortly after Robert retired, he and I went to visit my hometown, which is just outside Stonehenge in England, and we travelled around Europe for six months.
It was so special taking Robert to where I’d grown up, and we even dropped by my childhood home and had a coffee with the new homeowners.
‘We’re adding an extension for the three kids,’ they explained.
Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they heard our family of six had squeezed into the cosy cottage all those years ago!
Robert and I have been so blessed in our life, but it hasn’t been without hardships too.
In 2001, aged 66, I was shocked when doctors diagnosed me with bowel cancer.
Robert was by my side every step of the way as I went through surgery to remove the 20cm mass.
Thankfully, afterwards, I was declared cancer free.
Robert had his own health scare in 2013, when aged 79, it was discovered that he has a tumour in
his brain.
Unfortunately it’s inoperable, but he’s not letting that stop him!
Each month Robert has an injection to stop the tumour growing.
It makes celebrating the sweet times, such as our 70th anniversary, even more special.
The kids brought confetti to throw after the speeches, we shared cake, and the great-grandkids – all 21 of them – performed a poem for us!
My heart just about burst with joy.
And even after seven decades together, Robert still dotes on me, lovingly bringing me a crumpet or
a cup of tea.
‘My beautiful wife,’ he beams.
These days life is a lot slower for us. We enjoy spending time at home, tending to the garden and sipping cups of tea in the sunshine outside.
After all these years married, the one piece of advice we’d give to other couples is to never go to bed angry.
Now, I’m very grateful every day that I took a chance on the cheeky chap with no teeth!
