FRED and Sue Pitman had cause for celebration last Wednesday when they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

However, the Hillview Bunyip Aged Care residents kept celebrations relatively lowkey, choosing to simply spend the day with close family members.

Fred, 93, and Sue, 87, knew each other in their early teens.

Their relationship started out as an overthefence affair with Sue’s friend living next door to Fred.

Soon enough their relationship blossomed.

However, when World War II broke out their relationship was put to the test.

“The day the war broke out everything stopped,” Sue recalls.

“Fred, who was a volunteer for the army, went back to the barracks to organise things.”

During their early stages of their relationship, Fred trained people for the army in different parts of the country.

Sue was often referred to as the ‘camp follower’ and it is no wonder considering she travelled from Melbourne to Morpeth, NSW, by train and pushbike to marry Fred.

The two married in a church near the army base where Fred was stationed.

Sue said the key to their long marriage was shared interests.

“We were keen boaters and had yachts down at Sandringham. We often went fishing together,” she said.

The pair also had shared business interests, operating a drafting practice together and building houses during the postwar period.

The couple has two children, eight grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren, some of whom live in the local area.