Soul mates say love is the answer

Soul mates say love is the answer

25 March 2015

KILLYLEAGH couple John and Eleanor Carlisle celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with their family last Sunday.

Sixty years after they tied the knot at Ballee Parish Church, the couple are still together, still very much in love and still cherished by their children and wider family circle.

When John and Eleanor married, a gallon of petrol was equivalent to 22.5p in today’s money, the average house price was £1,937 and inflation was running at 3.5 per cent. 

Bill Hayes topped the US charts with The Ballad of Davy Crockett, while this side of the Atlantic, Ruby Murray’s Softly Softly was battling to knock Tennessee Ernie Ford off top spot in the UK chart with Give Me Your Word.

When John and Eleanor gave each other their word when they exchanged their wedding vows, they never thought for one moment that they would still be together six decades later.

Eleanor — who will be familiar to many former Down High students — was a secretary at the Mount Crescent grammar school, serving under four headmasters, Arthur Fowweather, James Buckley, Dr James Barton and Jack Ferris for 30 years, while husband John will be familiar to former staff at the Downshire Hospital where he worked as a maintenance fitter for 44 years.

The couple, who are due to celebrate their 85th birthdays this year, are soul mates who take great delight in their family, particularly their grandchildren and great granddaughter Erin who was born last June,

Eleanor said long marriages are not a rarity on her side of the family, revealing her parents David and Mary Ferguson lived to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.

The couple, who admit to enjoying the quiet life and each other’s company, initially set up home at Tobermoney outside Downpatrick before John built their current home at the Shane’s Road outside Killyleagh 38 years ago.

“We were always well matched and we enjoyed gardening,” said Eleanor. “We enjoy each other’s company but never went abroad as we were happy spending time we did get off together. We took things a day at a time since we were married and it is something we do to this day.

“We are so well matched and loved the simple things in life. Our faith has sustained through some difficult times and we have been blessed with a wonderful family.”

Eleanor, who revealed the couple received a card from the Queen congratulating them on their 60th wedding anniversary, said they felt lucky to be able to celebrate such a significant milestone, joking their next big target is to celebrate 61 years of marriage.

“We feel we have been blessed. We never imagined we would be together for so long, but are thankful we are still together,” she said. “We loved the simple things in life.”

Eleanor added: “We feel so lucky to still be living at home and have the support and love of our family. We are also delighted we have a great granddaughter and love watching every stage she is at.”

Asked what the secret to a long and happy marriage was, John, who enjoyed watching cricket and playing indoor and outdoor bowls, smiled and pointed at his wife.

“My wife is my success. We are soul mates and have been all our lives. We are so well matched and are so understanding of each other. We have supported one another since our marriage and always have. We always will.”