By Cam Lucadou-Wells
For Berwick husband and wife Bob and Jean Halley-Frame, it started with a blind date to the local “picture theatre” in England.
Two years later, on 20 April 1957, the English-born couple married at Emmanuel Church, London.
Four generations of family graced the occasion of the pair’s 60th wedding anniversary at Cardinia Hotel, Beaconsfield, on Sunday 23 April.
“It was a pretty special day,” son Robert said.
“They like to be closer to home with their family and friends, their two kids, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.”
They had the extra thrill of receiving a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull – with the promise of further good tidings from Queen Elizabeth II in the post.
Bob, 87, and Jean, 82, remain in good health, living independently and regularly singing and keeping active at Narre Community Learning Centre.
They moved out to Australia with children Robert and Lesley in 1964 after Mr Halley-Frame spotted a local newspaper ad promising a better life down under.
Up to that point, Mr Halley-Frame had worked at Trebor sweets company, been stationed in Hong Kong and Ceylon with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Service and worked as a motor mechanic.
The Halley-Frames settled in Ascot Vale, then Caulfield and several other addresses in Melbourne’s south-east.
They are now retired in Berwick.
They are proud parents to Robert and Lesley, grandparents to Michael, Leigh, Sarah, David and Max and great-great grandparents to Poppy and Texen.
