Posted on 09/16/2023 3:26:47 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Eric and Vera Pritchard tied the knot on September 18, 1948. More than seven decades on their love remains undimmed
On the eve of his wedding 75 years ago Eric Pritchard went to the reception venue to check on the arrangements only to be told there was no booking under his name. Luckily his neighbour had a large boarding house standing empty and so at the very last minute everything was shipped over the fence and Eric and his wife-to-be, Vera, phoned all the guests about the unexpected venue change.
It's a story that still makes Eric and Vera, now 98 and 95 respectively, laugh. Indeed the couple seem to laugh non-stop – thanks in part to Eric's devilish sense of humour. We meet four days before their 75th wedding anniversary at the Pembrokeshire house where the couple still live independently and Eric nonchalantly asks if their photos will wind up in Playboy magazine. Cue more laughs all round.
When the couple met, in Newport in 1946, Eric had just turned 21 and Vera was 18. There was still post-war rationing, George VI was on the throne, and Britain's coal industry had yet to be nationalised. Yet throughout the turbulence of the next seven decades one thing remained constant for the couple: family.
There's no great big secret to a long and happy marriage, Eric said. "Before you get married you're two separate people but when you get married you become a book," he said. "The beauty of getting married is trusting each other and you can say what you like and it will stay that way."
Each stage of life is like a new chapter, he said. "My advice to anyone getting married is to make sure you agree on things. Don't go off making arrangements without discussing it between you.
"You must honour each other and when you come to a chapter you don't agree on you don't leave it – you clear it up that same day, you don't let it fester. Discuss everything you do whether that's buying furniture or going on holiday. You don't want your love to die on you. Spend time together."
Eric pauses as emotion wells up and he looks fondly at Vera who is sat next to him. The mood is soon lightened when I ask Vera what's the most romantic gesture Eric has ever made. "He sometimes makes me a cup of tea," she joked.
It is quite incredible that the couple still live, entirely independently, in their small house in a quiet residential road in Pembroke. Their daughter, Lynne Perry, lives nearby and every Sunday Eric and Vera have Sunday lunch with their daughter. Lynne also drives them to Aldi to do their shop but leaves them to it while she does her own shopping. "He tells me it's his job to look after his wife," Lynne said.
The couple sit down at the table every evening to eat together – although sometimes they have their pudding on their laps in front of the TV, Eric admitted. He likes the murder mysteries but Vera prefers quizzes.
Over the weekend ahead of their big anniversary on September 18 they are having a small family gathering at Lynne's house and their son, Andrew Pritchard, is driving down especially. Having the family together is all that matters. "We've had such joyous times with the family because I believe that family is everything," Eric continued. "I always said before I died I wanted a great-grandchild. It was remarkable to hold that child." Kaito, at seven months, is their first great-grandchild and they are expecting their second in a few months time.
Eric, born in Newport, was one of five boys. They had a good upbringing at home. "We weren't rich but we had a good life," he said. He can remember sitting around the radio, with his parents and siblings, as Lord Chamberlain uttered those dreadful words on September 3, 1939. "He came on the news and said: 'We are now at war,'" said Eric. "There was silence." We've just passed that anniversary but he saw no mention of it on the news, he said sadly.
Vera's childhood was tinged with sadness after she lost her dad when she was 12 and her mum a year later. It was a "terrible time" for her and her older sister.
The couple met at a Newport dance hall in the mid-1940s. Eric "wasn't bad at dancing" Vera said, much to Eric's entertainment as he begged to differ. He added his version: "You can see the beauty of Vera – she was a cracking-looking girl."
They'd been courting for a couple of years when Eric turned to Vera and said: "This is stupid going on like this, let's get married." And so they did. "We never had an engagement," Eric added. The pair were married at St John’s Church in Maindee. "Then we went to Torquay for the honeymoon."
Life back then was simpler and more frugal. After a few years running a shop in Newport Eric became a menswear rep and travelled all over the country and further afield. He eventually retired at 65. Vera, who was a professional photographer, stayed at home once their first child, Lynne, came along.
Eric, who paid tribute to Vera and her trust in him to provide for their family, said: "I didn't make a fortune but we lived happily." Their first major purchase together was a sideboard for the bedroom. Holidays were spent at Butlin's. Then Andrew was born and holidays took a more adventurous twist as they went abroad.
"The old times, we had a better family life," said Eric. "People are just in a hurry today. Everybody wants everything at once."
The couple moved to Pembrokeshire 27 years ago to be closer to Lynne. Their family is spread all over the world with two sets of grandchildren and now the next generation after that. The key to love and longevity is accepting your age, Eric said. They are both remarkably fit although Vera is a bit hard of hearing. But she laughs at her husbands' jokes and the way they look at each other is their own private communication. Their love has never faded, even after 75 years, Eric added.
If they are Jimmy and Rosalyn, I don’t want to know their secret.
Married 30 years; been together for 33.
Respect kept us going when love faded and life was a brutal grind. Respect for each other, the life we had built together, the family we had created.
Then, my husband does something kind, like taking care of cleaning the kitchen because I’m exhausted from work, and I fall in love with him all over again.
Respect, communication, always building towards each other, and lots of passionate mommy-daddy time had afforded me a very happy married life no matter what trials life through our way.
I am his until I die. If I had a chance to do my life over, I would marry him again.
Glad for their blessings. Cut from different fabric than most people.
Your husband is also blessed.. as are you. 🍀🍀🍀
30 years here!
My secret…
On our honeymoon, I brought her to Hawaii. Had a wonderful, romantic beginning to our marriage.
For our 30th this year, I went back to Hawaii and brought her home.
I saw.an interview with couple like this. The wife gave basic platitudes “honor,respect”,and so forth as the reason they’d been married so long.
The husband was more practical. He said the secret to a long and happy marriage was two bathrooms and two televisions.
How about three televisions and no TVs?
Funny, my nephews think I'm brilliant. After all, I was talking about their mothers and aunts, they've lived through the influence these 7 women have had over their lives. I've survived it...lol.
My wife is a wonderful woman, I'm lucky she's my wife.
We were on vacation two months ago, and one of our stops was the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont. She mentioned for the first time in the 40+ years I've known her, staying here was one item on her bucket list...sheesh! lol
I immediately went to the front desk and asked if they had any recent cancellations. Providence was with us, and a room was available.
Two baths, two televisions, two refrigerators.
The spare fridge is for when the wife decides we’re going on a diet and loads the main fridge up with fresh vegetables.
:)
My bad. It should be threw, not through.
Very much so, I am blessed.
Him? That’s still up for debate ;)
I guess I’m not a complete washout as a wife since he’s decided to keep me around.
Fifty years here. The secret is to Marry up, if you can.
Can both of you do that?
We think we did.
After going together for a couple of years, married my wife in 1960...
Actually, after I had spent 1951-1957 in the Marine Corps, I had few scruples...
Met her when she was a date of one my best friends from HS..
So, I convinced him to join the Corps and then proceeded to steal her away...
My buddies called me a cradle robber, since I was 5.5 years older than her...
She worked through my years in graduate school and had two children as well...
Once I finished grad school, in 1967, she became a fulltime housewife forever...
We have both loved the same things: God, Family, Constitution, gambling, and bass fishing...
Our biggest disappointment was having only three children...
We had sort of planed for five... She had ten (10) brothers and sisters...
Fortunately we have lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren...
Now, I’m 2-months short of 90 and she is 84...
While we still get to the casino a couple of times a month (MGM National Harbor), our bass boat has been off limits since she got a new knee 15 years ago...
LOL
I knew a couple who I think made it to 78 years married.
Wonderful people.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.