By EMMA SUN
DIAMOND and gold are the perfect companions, and that is no exception for two good friends who are celebrating their anniversaries on Thursday.
Monbulk’s Jean Peace and her husband Harry will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary and Mrs Peace’s good friend Bette Dixon of Gembrook has her 50th wedding anniversary with husband Gary on the same day.
Mrs Peace and Mrs Dixon met more than 15 years ago at the Emerald U3A and bonded over games of Scrabble.
“As soon as Bette mentioned scrabble, I jumped up and down and said yes, yes, yes, and we’ve been playing Scrabble ever since, so we’re very good friends,” Mrs Peace said.
“Whenever we play, it’s always a dead heat – I win three games and she wins three games.
“We play six games in two and a half to three and half hours, which is not bad going either, and by the time we finished we’re cross eyed but we get there.”
It was love at first sight for Mr and Mrs Peace, who met at 17 years of age and got married in England before coming to Australia, where Mr Peace worked as an engineer and Mrs Peace an accountant.
The pair will spend a week in Apollo Bay for their anniversary without their family, and will indulge in crayfish.
“Crayfish is expensive, about $105 a kilogram these days, but our 60th wedding anniversary is a bit different so we’re going to have it,” Mrs Peace said.
“I’m not sharing crayfish with (the children and grandchildren), we just had Harry’s 80th birthday last November where I spent about $1300 on his party.
“About 40 people came and that’s the treat they got, so they’re not getting this one.”
She said she has had a wonderful marriage and enjoyed every year she had spent with Mr Peace.
“I’ve had a marvellous marriage, I’ve been around the world with him and I’ve done so much with him,” she said.
“We’ve been all over Australia together, oh we do have fun. He took me to England for our 40th anniversary, which was nice.”
Mr and Mrs Dixon met at the Melbourne Bushwalkers Club, where Mr Dixon was performing as part of a band.
They will celebrate their anniversary with family and friends in Mt Martha and are yet to decide their plans for the actual day.
The ladies agreed the secret to a long and prosperous marriage is communication.
Mrs Peace said communication between couples, no matter what kind, was the key.
“Communication is important – even if you’re arguing, that’s still communication and when you stop communicating, you divorce.”
Mrs Dixon added respect for each another was also a crucial factor.
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