Sylvia Jeffreys: 'This is what real love looks like'

“I don’t know what it is about this song, but it does something to me”. As Sylvia Martin tries to put her finger on that feeling she presses play on the CD player, which sits beside a framed photograph of her great grandchildren atop a dresser. The lively tempo of Rod Stewart’s version of That Old Black Magic fills her room at the Goodwin Retirement Village in Canberra, and immediately that feeling has kicks in. Sylvia lights up in a full-body-twisting, can-can-kicking, toe-touching dance. She’s working the camera. And the cameraman.  

The excitement is understandable. There’s a lot to celebrate. At 93. she’s about to tie the knot to her long time love, Frank.  Frank has seen this dance before, but he’s still under a spell. Sitting in a sunny corner of the home they share (the soon-to-be-honeymoon-suite) the 87 year old groom watches his bride adoringly. Love shows no regard for age around here. Romance rules.