WHEN Collin and Sally van der Westhuizen first met in 1964, they had no idea they were beginning a love story that would span more than 50 years. The couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and their affection for each other is still as strong as ever.

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Sally said they were introduced to each other at a dance in Johannesburg that November.

“Hello, Dolly by Louis Armstrong was playing, and we were dancing and checking each other out,” said Sally with a laugh. They were 17 and 21 at the time.

Collin, 82, later asked for her telephone number that evening and waited three days before calling.

“I jumped over in the chair, and my brother said, ‘Do you think it’s the queen phoning you?’,” said Sally.

They soon started dating, with Collin buying her chocolate, only to find out that Sally does not like chocolate but prefers biltong. They got engaged in April 1965 and got married in December of the same year, settling in South Hills, with Sally carving out a career as a bookkeeper and Collin as a shopfitter. They welcomed a daughter four years later, Belinda, who would be their only child. Through Belinda, they have two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The couple moved to Amanzimtoti 14 years ago, 13 of which they spent working at the Kuswag Skool’s tuckshop. They said the children at the school made their time there wonderful.

Asked how they managed to stay married for 60 years, they said they live by the Afrikaans saying, which goes, twee harde klippe maal nie saam nie (two hard stones do not grind together), meaning they both need to take turns listening to each other.
Since their second retirement from the tuckshop, the couple has been walking a lot to keep fit.

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