She was only 18 when she first laid eyes on him at a hospital, and he himself had only recently returned from serving in World War II as a Royal Engineer.
As a photographer and visual storyteller, I teach my photography students to always look for stories that can give us hope and a promise that love can be eternal.
When I got the opportunity to run a photography masterclass in Wales, I had to visit Mel and Vera to gift them images that would showcase their eternal love.
“I wanted him to be mine the moment I saw him, and I got him!” Vera (now 90) says as she blushes
72 years of being together (4 years of courting and 68 years of marriage) hasn’t weathered their love at all, as Mel (now 95) jokes back, “I would have got off sooner with a life sentence!”
During the course of the photoshoot, I asked them what is the secret to a happy marriage, and they said, “You’ve got to stick at it. Stand by each other, always"
"Take the rough with the smooth, and as long as you’ve got one another, you can take on anything"
Mel and Vera have overcome many obstacles in their lives together, one being this worldwide pandemic that has made them stay away from their children, grand and great-grandchildren owing to social distancing rules
However, even so, they strictly believe that having each other to lean on has been their biggest blessing in life
So, here they are
Mel and Vera, forever united as one
