The family lived in Newtown, Upper Hutt, and Linden before Frederick, with no building experience, decided he would build a house in Waikanae.
"We used to come up on a Friday night the best of friends, we went home Sunday evening not speaking, it got to about Wednesday and we were just coming right," she chuckled.
Hilda, who still has her sense of humour, enjoyed the coastal move, especially getting away from the city.
"I've liked Waikanae and it has never occurred to me to go anywhere else, although I do prefer Waikanae as it used to be.
"These days people seem to want so much.
"They want change and their main interest is money."
She returned to England in 1965 for a holiday but "I couldn't get back here quick enough".
Throughout her life Hilda enjoyed her 13 years working in a garden nursery in Tawa, creating embroidery, playing bridge, to Forest & Bird excursions.
Hilda and Frederick were married for 62 years before Frederick died in 2002.
Nowadays Hilda, who is still mobile and mentally sharp, enjoys playing music DVDs and reading books, especially mysteries.
She also has an inquisitive blackbird who comes inside daily and gets hand-fed currants - its partner and their two offspring like arriving too but have to wait by a ranchslider.
Hilda, who has nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, said she had had a "good life".
"And I wouldn't change any of it."
