This month marks an astonishing three quarters of a century since Greg and Audrey Cannon said, “I do”.
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The couple celebrated the milestone with family members and some friends, including one of the flowergirls who attended them on their wedding day.
The story of the night Greg Cannon met Audrey Grimshaw is perhaps best told by Mr Cannon … here’s how he recalled it on his 100th birthday.
He’d driven the big old Studebaker into Forbes for a dance at the CWA rooms, where he laid eyes on a “good looking girl”.
“She was a pretty smart girl, in charge of the shoe department at Meaghers,” Mr Cannon said.
“My best mate, when it was getting towards the end of the evening, said ‘I have got the next dance with Audrey and I’m going to see if she’ll let me take her home’.
“Well I hadn’t said a word to her, but I said, ‘you’re too late!’”
Young Greg made his move just in time ... and it was the right one.
The dances were the meeting ground for young couples in those years, friendships formed through the foxtrot or waltz, Boston two-step or Canadian three-step.
“On the way home we got a flat tyre so I was late getting home,” Mrs Cannon remembered.
“My mother was very concerned and full of questions.”
The friendship blossomed and the couple married at St Laurence O’Toole’s Catholic Church in a 9am mass on November 7, 1942.
The bride wore an exquisite gown of chantilly lace, made by a Melbourne firm.
They were attended by Greg’s brother Peter and Thelma Speers, Mick McLean and Dawn Combe, flowergirls Patsy McGlynn and Jeanette Cannon. The bridesmaids wore frocks of blue and gold lace.
The Cannons took the train to Blackheath to honeymoon, but all the stations were blacked out due to the war time security and they spoke to the conductor about making sure they reached their destination.
“We were a bit worried we wouldn’t know where to get off,” Mrs Cannon said.
While Mr Cannon served with the army in supplies throughout the war, the couple travelled to where he was stationed, the young bride house-sharing with other women in the same situation.
When the war ended, they settled at “Binalong” – 12 miles from Forbes - where they ran a mixed sheep and cropping farm, raised their family and spent many happy years.
It was something of a shock for the young girl from town who had no experience with kerosene lamps and was used to good town water supply. On the farm, they had a cool safe (no fridge) and Mr Cannon partnered with neighbours to build a phone line.
The Cannons had five children, Peter, Carol (Glasgow), Marion (McHugh), Robert and Christine Cannon.
Mrs Cannon recalled the best times were exploring the property and surrounding bush.
“We used to take the children on picnics, the children used to love exploring as they would call it,” she said.
“They have all been very interested in nature and the girls are all keen gardeners.”
In the wet years, they were surrounded by water.
“Because the children couldn’t get to school, Greg rigged up two wires between two trees on either side of the creek,” Mrs Cannon explained.
“You walked on one, holding the other and crossed the creek that way. We left the car on the town side and they would drive from there to meet the bus.”
The Cannons retired to town in their later years, and then more recently into aged care.
Greg is in the Mater and Audrey, in JRV, visits every afternoon.
Looking back across their years together and asked what advice she has for young couples, Mrs Cannon said, “I think you have to be understanding of the other person’s point of view, and never go to bed angry.”
