AS DORIS Moyle talks openly about what it takes to enjoy 60 years of marriage, her husband Louis sits alongside wiping tears from his eyes.
He is also taking a moment to reflect on their time together, but the words are hard to find.
Instead, he pats Doris’ hand and teases about having to put up with her for so long.
“She was nice and not bad looking ... she’s changed a bit since,” he laughs.
But without missing a beat, Doris quips “don’t forget, you have too”.
And in that moment, the love shared between the couple is obvious.
“It’s about helping one another all the time and working in with each other but of course you don’t agree on everything,” Louis said.
Doris agrees, but adds her own ingredients to the recipe for a long-lasting union.
“You need communication, compassion, commitment, courage, tolerance and respect for each other,” she said.
“And plenty of give and take.”
The couple wed on April 24, 1948 in the Hargreaves Street Baptist Church.
Their marriage followed a courtship which began when Louis returned from the war in 1946.
It was love at first sight for Louis, but far from that for Doris.
After meeting at the Elmore Fireman’s Ball, Doris asked Louis if he planned to attend the Raywood dance the following night.
“When he said yes, I thought ‘oh no’ because I wasn’t very struck on him’,” she said.
The following night she ran ahead of the group who travelled by bus to the ball and paid her own fare to ensure Louis didn’t try to accompany her through the door.
But by the end of the night, Louis had persisted and the couple planned to attend a movie the next weekend.
Louis, however, had to cancel a date with another woman to ensure he could attend.
It turned out to be a wise move, because that weekend was the beginning of a life-long union.
“He turned out to be the opposite to what I thought of him ... I thought all my birthdays had come at once,” Doris said.