Barry and Judy Ware have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Barry and Judy Ware have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
A motorcycle crash, a groomsman in traction and a little matchmaking set the romantic wheels in motion for Barry and Judy Ware.
Looking back on 60 years of marriage — the Katikati couple put their pairing down to fate and a little push from family members.
Young Judy was to be maid of honour at her cousin Pauline's wedding. But the groomsman — her bridal party partner — crashed his motorcycle and ended up in hospital just before the event.
Barry was asked to step up instead.
''So Barry ended up as best man and I was chief bridesmaid,'' Judy says.
Barry says after the original best man ended up in traction, the couple to wed played matchmaker and set them up to lead the bridal party.
The two had met before through cousin Pauline.
''We first met outside a furniture shop on the corner of Willis St, Wellington. We were introduced by Pauline and she was friends of his then fiance Francis,'' Judy says.
Barry seemed like a nice lad, Judy says, but was taken so she thought nothing more of it.
''After several discussions in the ensuing weeks after the wedding, Barry ended his engagement and we became a couple after this was proven to me,'' Judy says.
The two married on February 17, 1962, on the same street as they met — Willis St at St Peter's Anglican Church.
Their wedding day in 1962.
William (always known as Barry) was born in Wellington and spent much of his school years in Napier. He moved back to Wellington to attend police training school before being ''on the beat'' dealing with arrests, fights, drunks on night patrol (with limited radio band to call assistance if needed).
Judy was brought up in Wellington and admits she wasn't much of a student. She also hated her office job after leaving school and finally convinced her mother to let her train as a nurse.
After they were married, Barry worked as a constable in Napier and Judy joined him working at a private surgical hospital.
It was stressful, she says, as she often dealt with death. The two put their lack of success at becoming pregnant down to emotional stress so Judy swapped nursing for a position in shoe sales ... and got pregnant 18 months later.
It was a case of two birds with one stone — twins Helen and Colin. They have four grandchildren as well.
''We were very untrained and unaware parents ... we just learned by doing. There were no great antenatal classes or books to read. We just got on and did it.''
The next step in their journey was a move to National Park to a two-man police station. Barry says drunk visitors made for a busy job.
On occasion, Barry would flush out boozed-up teens at the local pub by finishing up their pints himself.
The family moved to Waiheke Island where Barry was the sole policeman and Judy the public health nurse.
After nearly three years they moved to Browns Bay and stayed for 22 years. They participated in Cubs, Brownies, Scouts, school committees as well at the local Lions Club Browns Bay (as well as their day jobs).
They've been living in Katikati for more than a decade. They celebrated their diamond anniversary at the Talisman Hotel and Restaurant with friends and family.
Judy puts the secret to wedded bliss down to patience.
''I don't have a lot of it and he has plenty,'' Judy says.
