63rd Wedding Anniversary

 It's Tui and Lionel's wedding anniversary- 25/1/1958. Tui's explanation of their courtship.

We met at St John’s Church in Invercargill when this nice young man came up and asked if he could take me home after a service. I told him I had my bicycle but he said that wasn’t a problem he would put it in the boot. After that he would come in every weekend and we would go for drives in the country. But there was a problem. He was getting serious. This was April and I was booked to go to England on a trip with a friend in May. We decided I would go ahead. It would give us time to think things over and I would return a lot sooner than I had planned. So we wrote regularly and he met me at Lyttleton on my return. From there we had about a week and decided to get engaged, buying the ring in Dunedin on our way home. We were married at St John’s on 25^th January , 1958. As the Teviotdales didn’t have accommodation for a married couple Lionel had to look for another job. We settled with Charlie and Jean Sutton at Fairfax and had seven happy years there. Our three daughters were born in this friendly community. 

But Lionel was hoping to own his own farm. At this time the Lands and Survey Department was developing land in vrioius parts of Southland for ex-servicemen who wished to take up farming. As their needs were satisfied the scheme was opened to others. Lionel applied for several years and attended the ballots at the end of each. The largest scheme of all was in the Te Anau Basin and there were three farms the last year we applied with over 80 applicatns. We couldn’t believe our luck when our name came out of the ballot. Lionel hadn’t even gone to the draw. We didn’t realise at the time but it was better than winning Lotto. And so we took a farm of 500 acres, five miles from Te Anau on the way to Mossburn. It was only partly developed of course and there was a lot of hard work ahead but Lionel couldn’t believe his luck.

                                                       Just moved to Te Anau, 1964

We spend the day sorting and tidying. Divvying up in order of age, eldest to youngest. In the end we all decide with no arguments or tension. Seems we value different things. Nic passes on the 1860's painting, supposedly to go to the eldest in each generation, says it doesn't appeal and wouldn't work in her hous. I love it so I'm stoked. With a sense of achievement we head out to the Courthouse Cafe. In the afternoon I contact Arthur for the third time to pay petrol money. He presents me with a detailed, handwritten document which I straight away lose down the back of a built in cabinet. So I go to visit him. His house, immaculately ordered, full of odds and ends. Like his head. I slip into Arthur meditative mode, gentle, quiet, slow. We end the day with an Indian, we forget to toast Tui and Lionel. I'm exhausted and sensitive and try to keep a low profile.

                                                 Lines company, Orion's, pole catch up