A love story: 1 family, 5 couples, 50 years apiece

Celebrating the latest 50th wedding anniversary in the McGregor family are (from left) Claire and Jack Davis, of Lowburn, Lorraine and Cliff Jolly, of Alexandra, Rob and Robyn McGregor, of Earnscleugh, Joy and Alistair McGregor, of Christchurch, and Noeli
Celebrating the latest 50th wedding anniversary in the McGregor family are (from left) Claire and Jack Davis, of Lowburn, Lorraine and Cliff Jolly, of Alexandra, Rob and Robyn McGregor, of Earnscleugh, Joy and Alistair McGregor, of Christchurch, and Noeline and Lewis McGregor, of Alexandra. Photo by Leith Huffadine.
When the McGregor siblings and their spouses get together, everybody talks and nobody listens.

A lively bunch, they have had more than 50 years of practice.

The couples are in Alexandra this weekend to celebrate the fifth 50th wedding anniversary in a family of eight children who grew up in the Blueskin Bay area, north of Dunedin.

Yesterday, Robin and Robyn McGregor, of Earnscleugh, became the latest in the family to celebrate their golden wedding.

Lewis (77), Alistair (73), Claire (72), Lorraine (76) and their respective spouses, Noeline (74), Joy (69), Jack Davis, who declined to give his age, and Cliff Jolly (76) all reached the milestone in the past four years.

Jack said when they all got together, they were a ''pretty noisy bunch''.

''Everybody talks, nobody listens - and that's before we have had a drink.

''Stories get embellished a bit.''

Rob (75) said a feature of get-togethers was ''good old McGregor family debates''.

However, several voices chimed in, saying those debates could be called arguments.

Claire pointed out they were fortunate they got on well, as they were all similar.

Family gatherings were now so large - with 29 grandchildren between them - they had stopped getting everyone together in one place.

''When we have a gathering there's always plenty of food. You think it's a lot, but it's always all gone,'' Robyn (71) said.

Rob and Robyn's celebration tonight was a ''small'' occasion with about 60 people.

Lorraine said people were ''amazed'' to find out there had been five 50th wedding anniversaries in the family.

People were more amazed to learn they were all alive, she said.

There were many different answers to the secret of a long marriage, from ''resilience'' to ''it's a miracle''.

General consensus among the five couples, however, was that it was ''what you did''.

''You got married and stayed together; that was part of the times. There's no trick, just tolerance and patience,'' Robyn said.

The group agreed they were all lucky to be in good health and celebrating their 50th wedding anniversaries together.

Next up for the couples?

Planning for their 60th wedding anniversaries.

And there is another golden wedding to come - a younger sibling has been married 48 years.

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