For retired Bay pastor, Terry Brinded, and his wife Eileen, who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last month, it was love at first sight.
Vividly recalling the evening they met as teenagers in Lincolnshire, England, Eileen shares how their paths first crossed.
“It was the evening of 21 March 1953 and I was window shopping with a friend in Lincoln High Street,” she mused, her mind at 90 being as sharp as a whip. “It is very fresh in my memory. Terry was with his friend on the opposite side of the road.”
Terry, whose speech has been affected by two strokes suffered in a period of three years, gazed gently at his wife whilst nodding in agreement.
“They made a beeline for us and we started chatting,” Eileen chuckled.
With no internet, mobile phones or dating apps, the couple met the old-fashioned way and felt an instant connection.
“We went out as a foursome for that week,” Eileen continued. “And after that week, we decided to continue seeing each other.”
The couple made every moment count, cycling and enjoying the outdoors together.
“In the summer, we were on our bikes; we would go to visit his grandmother, and we just did everything together. Terry was also a keen tennis player when we met, so we played table tennis and cricket, and of course, in those days there was no TV.”
Following a two-year engagement, the couple tied the knot at the age of 20. Being separated for national military service did not keep the couple apart; their connection only strengthened.
“He had to do two years’ national service, so we were separated for three months and then when he got posted, I was able to go with him. When we look back, we think it all had the Lord’s hand.”
The couple immigrated to South Africa more than 65 years ago and have been living in Gqeberha for 30 years, where the couple joined the Assemblies of GOD Central Ministry.
Terry and Eileen have much to celebrate this month. Whilst Eileen celebrated her 90th birthday on 16 July, their 70th wedding anniversary was days later on 23 July, and Terry still has a few weeks to wait for his 90th birthday on 26 August.
Asking the age-old question on how they knew that they had found “the one” and what keeps a marriage going during a period when divorce rates are high and real connections feel like a search for unicorns.
Eileen commented: “Terry had known me for a week, and he said to me: ‘You are the girl I’m going to marry.’ We just knew, didn’t we?”
Responding to Eileen, Terry added: “Maybe it was the Lord even then.”
The couple share two children, two grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom they see often. In their spare time, they still enjoy each other’s company, going to church together and gardening.
