Meet the Care Home Residents Across the UK Sharing Their First Date Advice For Valentine’s Day 2023
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
Most of us look for love in our lifetime, and who better to provide the ultimate advice for finding your soul mate than the older generations?
Many older adults in our care homes have been married for over 50 years and certainly know a thing or two about finding love and the secret to a long-lasting relationship.
To mark Valentine’s Day 2023 (14th February), care home residents across the UK have come together to share their words of wisdom and ‘First Date Dos and Don’ts’ for younger generations across the globe. Along with first date rules, our residents have also shared their heartwarming stories of marriage and the secrets to a long-lasting relationship!
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Cardiff
Jacqui and Brian
Jacqui married her husband Brian in 1965 - the couple had a small and intimate wedding ceremony. Brian was a Welsh International Rugby Union player - Jacqui shares they “have been blessed to travel the world together and our favourite place is South Africa”.
Jacqui has been married to her husband Brian for 57 years and the happy couple both know the secret to a long-lasting relationship:
Jacqui’s advice for a lasting and loving marriage is “holding hands and making sure you always have a lovely day”
Brian’s secret for a loving marriage is to “love one another, respect one another and trust one another”
Jacqui is now a resident at Ty Llandaff Care Home in Cardiff and Brian visits her every day. The team at Ty Llandaff Care Home shared, “they are absolutely in love with Brian and Jacqui’s story and feel lucky to be a part of their love story”.
Essex
Here are the first date dos and don’ts from our care home residents in Essex:
“Treat her like a lady” - Colin, 86 (a resident at Admiral Court Care Home, Southend-on-Sea)
“Listen to what he says as if it’s the best thing you have ever heard” - Pauline, 84 (a resident at Admiral Court Care Home, Southend-on-Sea)
“Take your time, don’t rush” - Beryl, 87 (a resident at Anisha Grange Care Home, Billericay)
“Put your phones down and have a chat together” - Don, 100 (a resident at Anisha Grange Care Home, Billericay)
“Make sure he has a sense of humour” - Beryl, 93 (a resident at Anisha Grange Care Home, Billericay)
Don and Jean
Residents at Anisha Grange in Billericay, Don and Jean have been married for 72 years and certainly know what it takes to find your perfect match!
Don recently turned 100 and shares that the secret to a long-lasting relationship is to “put your phone down and have a chat together".
Beryl
Beryl, a resident at Billericay’s Anisha Grange Care Home, met her husband at a dance hall in Liverpool. Beryl says, “he asked her for a dance, it wasn’t love at first sight, but it developed over time.”
They got married when Beryl was 22 and her husband 24 in 1957 and were married for almost 60 years. Beryl's advice to younger generations looking for love is to “take your time and don’t rush”.
London
Here are the first date dos and don’ts from our care home residents in London:
“Do listen and find out interests. Don’t assume they are interested in everything you say about yourself” - John 95 (a resident at Kew House Care Home, Wimbledon)
“Do check his father’s bank balance. Don’t believe him” - Shirley, 90 (a resident at Kew House Care Home, Wimbledon)
“Do make them pay (if they can’t the first time - not worth it)” - Eileen, 95 (a resident at Kew House Care Home, Wimbledon)
“Follow your dreams” - Michael, 68 (a resident at Haling Park Care Home, Croydon)
“Being able to run quick!” - John 73 (a resident at Haling Park Care Home, Croydon)
“Find someone who can keep the house intact” - Dolly, 95 (a resident at Rosewood House Care Home, Stepney)
“Find someone you’re in love with” - Sarah, 51 (a resident at Rosewood House Care Home, Stepney)
Barbara and Peter
Residents at Haling Park Care Home in Croydon, Barbara (81) and Peter (93) met whilst working at Whitbread Brewery at Kings Cross in the 1960s and have been married for 60 years - the pair definitely know the secret to finding your soul mate.
Barbra says it’s important to marry a caring man. She’s very much in love with Peter as much as the first day they met and shares “Peter is a patient, kind, loving man and she’s lucky to have him around”.
Derek and Jill
Childhood sweethearts Derek and Jill met when they were 16 and 14 in 1958 and shared how their love for adventures on Derek's motorbike brought them lots of joy.
The true love Derek and Jill have for each other grows stronger each day. Jill is now a resident at Haling Park Care Home and Derek shares “I look forward to visiting her every day, it’s time for me to repay her kindness to me when I was in hospital.”
John and Christine
John and Christine met outside a phone box in Streatham in 1973. They got married 5 years later in 1978 at the Brixton registry office and have 3 beautiful daughters - Lisa, Kerry, and Rebecca.
John is now a resident at Haling Park Care Home and the couple are in love more than ever before, as they recently renewed their vows in 2022 to celebrate 49 years of marriage!
Dolly
Dolly, a resident at Rosewood House Care Home in Stepney is 95 years old and was married to her husband Ronald for 72 years!
She met her husband at a local dance hall, where he asked her for a first dance. Two years later, Ronald proposed at the very same dance hall. Dolly’s advice for a long-lasting marriage is to “always forgive and forget”.
Oxfordshire
Here are the first date dos and don’ts from our care home residents in Oxfordshire:
- “Just take it slowly, chat and enjoy! Take an interest in him” - Jenny, 82 (a resident at Henley Manor Care Home, Henley-on-Thames)
“Chat normally, then dance” - Pam, 83 (a resident at Henley Manor Care Home, Henley-on-Thames)
“Don’t sit in the back row of the cinema” - Elizabeth, 91 (a resident at Henley Manor Care Home, Henley-on-Thames)
Alf and Wibke
A respite care resident at Valerian Court Care Home, Alf (91) met his wife Wibke in 1951.
The couple got married on 5th of April 1952 and held their wedding reception in Alf’s parent’s front room; it was a simple but very special day. Alf and Wibke were married for 68 years and had four daughters and one son.
Scotland
Here are the first date dos and don’ts from our care home residents across Scotland:
- “Behave yourself” - Agnes, 82 (a resident at Campsie View Care Home, Kirkintilloch)
“Love is understanding and compromise” - Harry, 80 (a resident at Campsie View Care Home, Kirkintilloch)
“Love is the best feeling you can have! Above all others! Takes over everything!” - Helen, 84 (a resident at Campsie View Care Home, Kirkintilloch)
“Think about it and don’t rush” - Tony, 77 (a resident at Campsie View Care Home, Kirkintilloch)
David
David, a resident at Woodlands Care Home in Aberdeen, shares that he met his wife completely by chance when they were both sent on a bus tour of the paper mill by their parents.
All they wanted was to get married straight away but David and his wife were told to wait until they were 19. Together, David and his wife had 2 wonderful children and they lived in married bliss for many years.
Hanny and Bert
Hanny (74), a resident at Havencourt Care Home, met her husband Bert at a party and did long-distance dating at the start of their relationship. The couple got married in August 1972 and travelled the world together.
Suffolk
Jean
Jean, a resident at Brampton Manor Care Home in Newmarket, shares the joy of meeting people ‘out and about’. She “fondly reminisces of the local dances she and her friends attended that were close to the air base during the war - where there were always lots of opportunities to meet new people.”
Surrey
Here are the first date dos and don’ts from our care home residents across Surrey:
- “Don’t jump into bed” - Ann, 91 (a resident at Lakeview Care Home in Woking)
- “Do go for a romantic meal. Don’t bring your parents” - Alex, 86 (a resident at Lakeview Care Home in Woking)
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