Suffolk couple shares secret to happy marriage after six decades together
June and Richard Porter have been together for 63 years
Last updated 17th Feb 2025
As couples get together this Valentine's Day many may be thinking of what the future holds and what they'll be like when they're older.
One couple in Suffolk already knows this answer, having been together for 63 years and are now living together at the care home Alice Grange in Kesgrave.
"It sounded like a fairy tale"
June and Richard Porter, from Rushmere St Andrew, met while she was riding her horse at 14 years old.
Richard, who was 16 at the time, came past on his bike, spooking her horse and causing June to fall.
Richard quickly picked her up and dusted her off before catching the horse.
They jokingly say that she 'fell for him'.
Richard ensured she was okay, but June said she "wasn't impressed" with him.
Soon though, they became friends.
Richard told us his first impression of June was that he had a "beautiful girl in front of me, on the ground that I am picking up - it sounded a bit like a fairy tale."
But after that, they unfortunately didn't see each other for around 18 months.
June was working as a librarian at the time, putting books on the shelf when she looked up and saw Richard standing in front of her.
She asked what he was doing there, to which he replied "I've come to see you... to ask you out, come out with me."
June agreed.
Richard told us June had beautiful, perfect teeth, a beautiful figure, and standing at 5ft 2 with size two shoes was an "attractive package", to which June retorted that she liked his car.
She continued that there "was always something attractive about Richard, he was always good fun to be with and we always got on well, it was just easy. There was an attraction there.
"He was good looking, he was very good looking.
"My Mother said when she met him that 'he's handsome and he's charming but you'll never keep him'."
Richard had been known to take a few other women out at the time, which June was aware of, but Richard then gave the perfect response: "But I always came back for you dear."
Richard then chose to propose, with June revealing it was in the back of their car where he promised to "protect me, care for me and love me until he died... and he has absolutely done that."
June was 20 when they got married, and Richard was 23.
"Before I got married an elderly lady said to me 'just be kind to each other' and I think she was right. Just be kind to each other."
The pair have only had one disagreement in the entire time of knowing each other.
June told us "I used to think everything was going too well, and something had to go wrong - but it never did... I can't think of anything horrible... It's all been pretty good....
"Everybody has spats don't they, it was never anything serious but Richard has always been very laid back. It was me who stamped my feet and he would look at me and say 'are you finished?'.
"He has never tried to stop me from doing anything I wanted to do... After I gave up riding I used to breed Shetland ponies... travelling all around East Anglia and the Midlands... showing ponies and breeding foals and he's always been supportive of that."
We asked what advice they had for any young couples on how to have a marriage as happy as theirs:
"Talk it out before you go to bed and don't go to bed fuming, you stand a better chance of working it out."