When 76-year-old Laurie Williamson was a nipper he took little notice of Janice Henry.
She was a year his junior who also lived at Portland, the village around the cement works 10km south of Whangarei.
He didn't take much notice when they travelled to secondary school - him to Whangarei Boys' and her to Whangarei Girls' High School.
But he was smitten when he saw her stepping out smartly in the Portland marching team uniform.
So smitten he allowed himself to be conned into becoming the team coach.
The appointment of a young man to drill a team of women his own age was most unusual but it enabled Laurie to persuade Janice to accompany him on a slow march up the isle of Christ Church in Whangarei on November 17, 1956, so they could marry.
Yesterday was their 55th wedding anniversary and, unfortunately, it was celebrated at Whangarei Hospital, where Janice was admitted on Sunday after experiencing a minor stroke which upset her balance.
She was recovering well and was expecting to go home today. And with her health issues under control, the anniversary was a happy affair with Laurie, their two sons, two grand-daughters, one of her bridesmaids and the widow of Laurie's best man crowding into her hospital room to mark the special occasion.
The sons are Mark Williamson, of Whangarei, and his brother Steven, who made a surprise visit from Christchurch with his young daughters.
The bridesmaid is Janice's sister Jennifer Davis. And Kath Ferguson is the widow of best man Robin Ferguson, who used to run Fergusons Menswear store in Lower Cameron St.
After they married, Laurie and Janice built a house in Whangarei and had their sons and a daughter, Christine Fraser. Laurie managed the heavy transport division of Motorspecs (later Repco) and Janice worked at Bargain Stores on Bank St and the Whangarei Dairy Company before managing the office at the Whangarei Intermediate School.
Laurie later moved to Transport Specialties in Auckland, retiring as marketing manager in 1998. Janice worked at a Howick primary school.
The couple spent 10 years in retirement at Snells Beach before deciding the stairs in their three-level home would beat them in time.
They moved to Three Mile Bush Rd, Kamo, where their single-storey house with no lawn, small section and raised gardens suits their advanced years.
Janice said yesterday that she was "up and about" at hospital and looking forward to going home.
She laughed when reminded about Laurie being the Portland team coach and said her marching days were over.