Barry and Dorothy Hose say 'team work' is key to a long marriage

Barry and Dorothy Hose married on January 26 at St John the Baptist Church in Burley when they were 21.

They first met in 1947 at a youth club in Burley.

Former firefighter Barry says he would often cycle to the youth club with a group of friends from Ringwood.

He says: “I looked at her and she was gorgeous.”

But the pair went their separate ways with Barry serving abroad in the RAF.

On his return to Ringwood, he decided to get in touch with Dot who was working at a chemists. He gave her a call and asked if she would like to go out with him sometime but as Barry admits the phone call did not go too well.

He thought he would try again and catch her before she got on the bus to Christchurch the next day. “I popped down to the cycle shop and bought this bike. I hadn’t ridden for four years – it didn’t come easy. By the time I got to Burley the bus was leaving and I thought my only chance is gone.”

Dorothy recalls seeing Barry on the bike through the rear window of the bus. Luckily enough for Barry the bus stopped, he threw the new bike into the hedge and climbed on board.

Their friendship grew and about 15 months later they married and went on to have four children, three grandchildren and a great grandson.

Dorothy said: “Sixty years later we’re still together.”

During their married life they lived in Burley and Ringwood. Over the years Barry has had a number of jobs from working on farm to being a crane driver for 20 years. He was also a firefighter in Ringwood and Burley for 18 years.

Dorothy stayed at home and took care of the family.

Speaking about celebrating the milestone, she said: “It is amazing. I feel quite happy about it. It is quite exciting to think we got that far.”

As for the secret to a long marriage, the couple says it’s “team work”.

To mark their 60th anniversary, the couple returned to the church in Burley where they recreated their wedding day picture outside.