Friendship brings English couple to local arts festival

Aiken's Makin' drew one couple all the way from the United Kingdom.

June and Arthur Reeve, of Manchester, England, traveled to Aiken just to attend Aiken's Makin'.

"This is our first time in the United States and the first time flying across the Atlantic Ocean," Arthur Reeve said with a smile.

The Reeves struck up a friendship with Diane Owens, of Aiken, via a forum on www.kirksfolly.com, a website specializing in mystical jewelry. For the past five years, the communication lines have been open and the two families often spoke to one another via webcam.

"We met on the Internet, and that's how it all started," June Reeve said.

Knowing June Reeve is a crafter, Owens began mentioning Aiken's Makin' to her several years ago. Reeve creates greeting cards in addition to knitting and other works.

"We don't have anything this big in the U.K.; I am very intrigued," June Reeve said. "Really, our first priority was to see the Owens family and then Aiken's Makin'. They are the Southern branch of our family."

This year, the Reeves planned an anniversary trip around Aiken's Makin' and arrived in town on Tuesday. They celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary Thursday with a surprise luncheon thrown by new friends. They will stay for two weeks, enjoying the lifestyle and culture of the South and Aiken.

In addition to attending Aiken's Makin', another top priority for the couple was to have their photograph taken with Eula and Mae on the bench in front of Tea Garden Gifts. The image of the mannequins has been June Reeve's screensaver on her computer. As she sat with the women on Laurens Street, she couldn't help but giggle and declare they were the "original Golden Girls."

The Reeves have been deemed honorary rednecks by Owens.

"The definition of redneck is belief in God, church, family and friends," Owens said. "They used to think it was more like a lumberjack."

The Reeves have decided that if that is the true definition of a redneck, then they want to be rednecks. They said that if they were 20 years younger, they would move to Aiken.

"We like what we've seen here so far. It's very classy," the Reeves said. "We have felt right at home since we arrived here."

Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@aikenstandard.com.