Double celebration for Myrtle Bank Couples!

Two couples shared a special milestone, celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary last month!

Neila and Geoff Foggo and Coral and Geoff Tate, live in the same Southern Cross Care precinct in Coach House Mews and the Waterford Apartments respectively.

Both couples were married in 1947.

Geoff and Neila met in North East Victoria after World War Two, Geoff came home to recuperate and Neila, who was working at a bank, was boarding with his mother.

From there they connected, courted and were married on May 24.

“I think we have always been able to have a good laugh,” Neila said about the secret to a successful marriage.

“We also don’t live in each other's pockets!”

The couple have enjoyed a life full of travel, work, family and for Neila, writing.

“We are great travellers, we mainly go to Scotland and England,” Neila said.

Geoff worked in banking while Neila worked in a number of Public Relations roles, and they’ve been on numerous adventures.

They joined the International Home Exchange – a program which allows people to travel and live in other people’s homes. They spent 3 months in Scotland and have since exchanged homes 15 times!

They also joined Friendship Force, a cultural exchange organisation focused on promoting understanding and cultural education through homestay travel and personal friendships.

“We hosted people from overseas and had some wonderful experiences,” Neila said.

Neila has used her overseas experiences as inspiration for her writing – she has a keen interest in biographies. Geoff on the other hand, loves reading, watching sport and playing pool.

“Having different interests gives you things to share with each other,” Geoff said.

The couple welcomed three children, Diane, Peter and Sue and also are the proud great grandparents to five youngsters.

Double celebration for Myrtle Bank Couples - Southern Cross Care (SA, NT and VIC) Inc

Geoff and Coral Tate, like the Foggo’s, met after the war.

Geoff was stationed in Port Pirie and he met Coral at a dance before he went off to work in Melbourne.

Like many couples of the era, they kept in touch via letters before Coral decided to visit Melbourne via train.

“My dad always said to me ‘you can’t get engaged until you are 21 and you have to meet his family’,” Coral said.

And what an adventure Coral’s first trip was!

Geoff punctured his tyre on the way to the train station – and he had to walk for a long while to phone for help while she waited at the station!

Luckily, Geoff arrived, collected Coral, and the rest is history – they married on May 31 at St Johns Church on Halifax Street.

The couple first lived in Melbourne on a big block of land in Croydon, and they stayed there until 1962.

They went on to have two children, Ross and Kathryn, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Like the Foggo’s the Tate’s have enjoyed a life of travel. They visit Melbourne and recently travelled to Hobart and Canberra.

“We have always travelled together – we are looking to do some more cruises,” Geoff said.

And while they enjoy getting away, the Tate’s have loved living at the Waterford Apartments.

Coral is a member of the Vintages Voices Choir and Geoff loves running the community barbecues.

“We are very happy here and we are enjoying life,” Geoff said.