Pinetown couple together for 50 years

A Pinetown couple who celebrated their 50th anniversary on Saturday, 5 August described their relationship as team work. Malcolm and Esme (Anfield) Campbell met through mutual friends at South Beach in 1966 and have never been apart since.

Esme grew up in Malvern and attended Queensburgh High School and Malcolm grew up in Paarl. When he joined the SA police force, he was transferred to Durban and was then stationed at Pinetown SAPS.

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Esme said she and her friend were going to catch a bus home but Malcolm, who was a policeman at that time, offered to take them home and they went out on several dates before getting married at the Malvern Methodist Church.

“I will never forget the day he proposed to me as it was on 1 April and I really thought it was an April fool’s joke,” she said.

The couple have five children and eight grandchildren.

The Highway Mail spoke to the two love birds about their journey and this is what they had to say:

What attracted you to each other?
Esme: I just liked him straight away, I could say it was love at first sight.
Malcolm: It was her looks, she was so beautiful, she was like an angel.

How did you know your partner was the one after dating for less than a year?
Esme: After meeting him at the beach, we saw each other everyday and I knew that this is the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Malcolm: I had girlfriends before her but when I dated her it was different and I just knew she was the person I wanted to spend my life with.

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What keeps your love going strong after 50 years together?
Esme: We are a good match, we complement each other and we do everything together. We travel a lot and we enjoy each other’s company.
Malcolm: She is someone I can always depend on, she is cheerful and positive. She balances me as I can sometimes be very impatient and hot headed.

Any advice for young couples?
Esme: Never go to bed angry, try to make up, sometimes it not always possible but try. The problem is that women are now independent and it is just easy for them to up and leave.
Malcolm: Nowadays, young people do their own thing but we always do everything together. If you want your relationship to work, it should be a team effort. Yes, things are different and people are busy doing their own things but couples should always make time for each other.

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