Central Hawke's Bay couple reach platinum status: 70 years married and counting

Betty and Walter Moorcock celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary after 70 years of marriage. Photo / Paul Taylor

A couple in Waipukurau have reached a milestone that very few people get to - 70 years of married life.

Betty and Walter Moorcock celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Sunday.

The Central Hawke's Bay couple married in 1951, Betty was 20 and her husband was 22.

Now 90 years old, Mrs Moorcock said the reason for the longevity of their partnership is simple – they just get along really well.

"We probably needed a bit of patience at times but we love each other and do well together," she said, "there's no doubt about that."

The Moorcocks have seven children, 15 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

"That's quite the score isn't it," Mrs Moorcock said.

Betty and Walter Moorcock both grew up in Central Hawke's Bay and have lived around the area ever since. Photo / Paul Taylor

The pair grew up in CHB - Betty is from Ongaonga and Walter lived in Tikokino.

Mrs Moorcock said they met through a mutual friend when they were in their mid-teens and have known each other for a "jolly long time."

Because of their health the pair decided to spend their platinum anniversary with an "open day".

They invited friends and family to visit at their leisure and have a cup of tea, a piece of cake and to reminisce.

According to their children, Walter, is a very easy-going man.

He has always lived and worked in CHB, working on farms, for the CHB District Council and has maintained huge vegetable gardens.

Betty is a life member of the Otane Arts and Crafts Society and has won awards for knitting garments from wool that she has spun herself - she is also a life member of Waipawa's Women's Institute.

The Moorcock's children said their parents' marriage worked for several reasons:

"They've always been a hard-working couple, with focus on family, team work and community," they said.

Husband and wife still have a passion for country music and dancing - at family gatherings they're usually one of the first on the dance floor.

With a large family sometimes things got a bit chaotic, according to Mrs Moorcock.

When their seven children were younger the Moorcock family used to go from Waipawa to Waipukurau every Friday evening to do their grocery shopping.

All nine would jump in one car, with no seatbelts, and set off.

On one particular Friday the family were almost back in Waipawa before they realised that they had left son Donald behind.

They had to quickly turn around to find Donald on the main street, waiting patiently for them to pick him up.

Daughter-in-law Tracy Ivami said the anecdote has always reminded her a little of the Home Alone story.