So, Guyra potato farmer of 65 years Ron Turnham took it upon himself to learn to dance.

“I took myself to all the little dance halls in Hillgrove, Armidale, that was my plan to find a lady,” the 79-year-old said.

“My mate and I used to fill up the car on a Saturday night and go dancing, I learned it all in the finish and then it turned out I met my girlfriend down in Sydney.”

But, one of the best days of his life was spent in hospital just last October.

“Treat other people the way you would like to be treated,” he said.

“Walking around different wards and I’d pop my head in and ask if they’d care for a little chat.

“It was a Friday, I remember, and I counted up at the end of that night – 15 that I had helped, and they had helped me.

“They made me feel good and that’s a wonderful feeling, when you help others and they help you.”

Married for 42 years, Mr Turnham lost his wife when they were both in hospital last July.

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Mr Turnham has lived at the Masonic Lodge for just three weeks.

As we walked through the halls to his bedroom, where he keeps his lamb collection, a small, elderly woman wearing a scowl trawled slowly behind us.

“They told me not to bother with her,” Mr Turnham said.

“But, after you spoke to me I sat down next to her and I got more out of her in those five minutes than anyone else has.

“She’s quite a lovely lady, it just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Once in his room, there was no secret Mr Turnham is a Guyra man.

The potato farmer’s room is filled with collectible lambs.

“There’s about 100 different varieties of potato, you might only think about five or six – but there’s 100,” he said.

“If anyone wants them in the garden the fastest growing one, you’ve probably heard of it, is a pontiac.

“Grows nice and quickly and it’s a nice eating potata’.”