A trip to the movies in Auckland more than 70 years ago proved life-changing for Ian Macnee when he met a young lady named Kathy Taupiri Tamati after her planned date didn’t turn up.
Instead he took Kathy to the movies, and fast forward to 2024, they have just celebrated 70 years of happy marriage with family and friends in Kaitāia, where they have lived for more than 24 years.
The couple said the secret to their long and happy marriage is to “start young, and good living”.
Looking back on that fateful day when the then 18-year-old Ian had just arrived in Auckland from down south and was outside the Civic Theatre in Queen St, one night, and having seen the shining lights of the theatre decided he wanted go to the movies.