‘Give and take’ part of the secret to 60 years of marriage

He was 16 at the time and she was 14. Mrs Rive’s father would take her to St Magloire Church Hall at L’Islet and collect her at the end of the evening.

After Mr Rive’s request for a date was accepted, the couple would meet at the Odeon Cinema on a Thursday – the only other night that Mrs Rive was allowed out.

When he was 17, Mr Rive bought a second-hand Hillman Minx and after passing his test at the first attempt, he began to pick his girlfriend up.

He was an apprentice decorator with J. W. Rihoy & Son and he stayed in the trade all his working life.

Mrs Rive meanwhile worked initially at her grandfather’s grocery shop, Carteret Stores, at Cobo.

They got engaged at Christmas 1957 and in 1959 bought a plot of land from Mrs Rive’s father at Galaad where they built a bungalow.

They married in 1960 at Bethel Baptist Church, now Shiloh, and had a wedding reception at the Wayside Cheer Hotel.

Son Mark was born almost two years later, followed by Tracey six years after that.

The couple ran a small guest house for four to five people from their first home. They later operated a guest house at South Side, St Sampson’s, and by the next one at the Forest they were taking 25 guests.

‘It was hard work,’ said Mrs Rive. ‘Graham would peel the potatoes before he left for work and wash the dishes when he came home.’

Mark is now married to Kerrie and they have two sons, Corey and Christian (C.J.), while Tracey lives in Canada where she works as a yoga instructor.

Mrs Rive said give and take was important in any marriage. ‘I think the two of us were lucky too because we enjoy the same things,’ she said.

Now 81 and 79 respectively, to mark their diamond wedding anniversary, Mr and Mrs Rive had booked La Grande Mare Hotel to have dinner with family and friends, followed by a Mediterranean cruise which will now not be happening.

They said they hoped everyone could stay safe and well and that they could meet up when the Covid-19 pandemic is over.