It was post-war England, and while on a bus, a 16-year-old Peggy took a shine to her future husband’s curly hair.
“I said I'd have to marry somebody with curly hair, because mine was so straight,” she chuckles.
That young man was a 14-year-old Ron Hoar, who thought in return she was “a bit of all right”.
Since then, the Hoars were joined at the hip, tying the knot on 14 July, 1956, “ten years and one week” after that life-changing bus ride.
Seventy years on, Ron, 94, says his wife is “more than a bit alright now”, while Peggy, 96, admires the fact they were already planning their future together in the early days of their courtship.
Their married life has been closely tied to the Methodist Church. Ron served as a minister across England for four decades after spending two years as a ground wireless mechanic in the Royal Air Force.
Peggy embraced the role of minister's wife, and Ron says allowing each other to apply their “natural gifts” has been their bedrock to a long and happy marriage.
“I have a bit of a gift of painting, and we depended a lot on Peggy cooking some very good meals and skills with dress making and knitting, which meant throughout our life it saved us tons of money, and that's I think one of the reasons why we lasted this long,” he enthuses.
“She also very graciously, as a minister's wife, had a go at leading meetings… she used to be nearly a nervous wreck before these things happened, because it's not a natural gift, but she had to go at it.”
One of the biggest changes in their seven decades together came 10 years ago when they emigrated to New Zealand to be closer to two of their five children.
The couple spent eight years in Palmerston North before moving to Kensington Court, where they have recently been cheering on England in the FIFA World Cup.
One goal celebration was loud enough for a carer to “charge down the corridor” to check on them.
Alongside their five children, Ron and Peggy have 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
