“I was there with a group of girls, and my friend also liked him, but I won him over on the night with a dance,” 80-year-old Ms George said on Thursday, 60 years after their wedding at St. John’s church in Bega.

She said the key to the couple’s long marriage was hard work.

“We worked hard between us and had three children, although Ray was away a lot playing in a dance band at places like Bombala and Delegate,” Ms George said.

“I remember he took me to the pictures and ask me if he could buy a set of drums, but we didn’t have two bob to put together. He only gave away drumming three or four years ago.”

Ms George was born in Bombala, and Mr George in England before moving to the Bega Valley following the bush fires of 1952.

“His family couldn’t believe there was so much land to play on,” she said.

The couple are proud great-great-grandparents of Noah Nye.