Married For 60 Years

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31385, 2 June 1967, Page 2

Married For 60 Years

In everything from growing cyclamens to playing golf, Mr and Mrs H. W. Walker, who celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary tomorrow, have tried to live their life to the fullest.

When Mr Walker retired from golf last year he was 84 years old, and still maintaining a handicap of 21. As a builder, he worked in Christchurch for over 50 years, and he was foreman on many notable Christchurch buildings. He was a foundation member of the Beckenham Cricket Club, and was appointed first life member of the club a few years ago. Mrs Walker was an enthusiastic worker for the Phillipstown Anglican Church, and until fairly recently she played croquet for the church club. Both families have been settled in Christchurch for most of their lives. Mr Walker was born here and Mrs Walker came to Christchurch with her parents when she was three months old. Longevity Mr Walker’s parents arrived at Lyttelton in 1860. He was one of a family of 10, five of whom are still living. Four of the surviving members of his family are over 80, and the fifth is 79. He is mildly surprised at this record of longevity. “I lost my dad when there was only one of us working. We had two acres at Hillmorton, and we kept our own cow and our own pigs. We all had plenty of bacon, plenty of eggs, milk and cream,” he said. Mrs Walker was the seventh child in a family of 12. Her father had learned the bakery trade in England, and he took over the Lancaster Park Bakery in Christchurch. He worked until he was over 80, and one of his sons took over the bakery. After he left school Mr Walker worked in the lithograph department of the “Lyttelton Times.’ He was apprenticed to the building trade one and a half years later, and he remained with J. M. W. Jamieson for 50 years.

“The first big building I had the foremanship of was the main Government building (the old Inland Revenue Department) in Worcester street The foundations were set on 587 concrete piles. It was the first time they had been driven in Christchurch. A young fellow and I did the boxing for those piles.” The foundation meeting of the Beckenham Cricket Club was held in Mr Walker’s house. “I played for the club for 20 years, and it grew to be the strongest in the competition." “When I was 50, I decided I was getting too old to be chasing a cricket ball, so I joined the golf dub.” Mr Walker is one of the oldest drivers in Christchurch, and his car, a 1924 Essex, is his particular pride. “It is the first and only ear

I have ever had. I have driven over 150,000 miles, with only five punctures.” “I bought it after it had been tipped over one of the gullies in the peninsula. It was about three years old then and was sold to me with a new body on it, and it is still in the original condition.” In his retirement, Mr Walker’s interests have centred round his little glasshouse, which he built on his section. He, has experimented with the growing of ferns and cyclamens. Mr and Mrs Walker have three children, four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Their family will hold an open house for their relatives and friends at 107 Roker street on Saturday. Mr Walker has one proud boast: his family have been subscribing to “The Press” for 100 years this year.