A CHANCE meeting at a house party more than 60 years ago has led to a lifetime of happiness for one Portland couple.

Just like something you would see on the silver screen, Kenneth Smith walked into a party on Otway Street, spotted Katherine across the room and knew she was the one.

“We knew pretty much straight away,” Mr Smith said.

“From that moment on we were together.”

As the pair were just 19 and 17 respectively, Mr Smith had to ask her father’s permission to take her on their first date.

“I went to her house to ask him if I could take her out but he just went to bed instead of answering the door,” Mr Smith joked.

“So I just asked her mother instead.

“Our first date was at the Star Theatre – there wasn’t much else you could do back then for a date, so that’s what we did.”

A trip to the theatre became a tradition for the couple, with Mrs Smith’s parents accompanying the pair on many occasions – even on the night they were engaged.

Fast-forward around two years, the couple were married on November 11, 1961 at the Scots’ Presbyterian Church followed by a reception at Macs Hotel.

“On the day, my mother’s mother passed away and they were trying to contact someone but we were all at the wedding,” Mr Smith said.

“In those days you could only be reached by telegram so we didn’t know anything had happened at the time.

“It was bittersweet, but it was important to be with family and celebrating something happy.”

As a teen, Mr Smith’s father encouraged him to purchase a block of land with a flat where he could one day build a house.

At the time Mr Smith thought it was unnecessary, but the property turned into a home when he married Katherine and raised their six children together.

“At 16 I didn’t know what I was going to do with the block or why I needed it,” he said.

“But looking back I’m glad I got it because it’s where we built our home and raised our family.

“We still live there to this day.”

It was not always smooth sailing for the pair, losing their son when he was 25 was something that tested their bond, but Mr Smith said there was never any doubt they would stand the test of time.

Now in their 80s, the couple are just as in love as ever, with Mr Smith chalking their decades long love up to good communication and quality time.

“We never leave each other’s side,” he said.

“I had a trucking business and we worked together there every day, we spent every night together – we’ve never been apart.

“We also talk all the time which I think is something the younger generation struggles with.

“You see young people out on a date and they’re on their phones and not paying attention whereas when we met you didn’t have any of that, so you had to communicate.

“My advice for anyone looking to last 60 years is to put the technology down and communicate and spend quality time together doing the things you like.”