Wedding Anniversary Celebrations
Last month, we wished special congratulations to our residents Jean and Eddie at Derby Heights, and Bert and Eileen at Priory Court. Both couples celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary. We also wished special congratulations to Peggy and Les at Astbury Manor, who celebrated their 69th Wedding Anniversary.
Jean and Eddie Coatsworth celebrated their 70th Anniversary on the 15th of March. They first met at the Old Shildon Working Man’s Club Dance, with Eddie later walking Jean home. After that, they decided to go on a date together and from then on became inseparable. Having married at the All-Saints Church in Shildon, Durham, the couple has a daughter, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of whom they love dearly. Both Jean and Eddie grew up in Shildon and lived just one mile apart. Jean worked as a student nurse for psychiatric patients, whilst Eddie worked as a welder for the British Railway. Offering words of wisdom about the secret to a happy marriage, Jean and Eddie say to ensure a 50/50 contribution is made, always making sure to help one another and leaving room for some give and take. The biggest piece of advice they could give is never to go to bed on an argument: they always forgive and forget and begin the following day with a ‘’Morning, dear!’’
Bert and Eileen Sayers celebrated their 70th Anniversary on the 22nd of March. They were married in Harrow, North London and moved to Stamford in Lincolnshire with Bert’s job, as he worked as a travelling salesman for a paint company in Norfolk. They have two daughters, Carol and Lorraine, as well as three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Bert stated that the secret of a lasting marriage is, ‘’Tolerance, taking the rough with the smooth and being married to a beautiful lady.’’ Staff and fellow residents at Derby Heights and Priory Court helped both couples celebrate their special milestone, with a party, plenty of cake and prosecco.
Peggy and Les Carter celebrated their 69th Wedding Anniversary on the 28th of March. They both worked for an electronic assembly at Sperry’s, making aircraft parts; this is where they first met. They attended their company club, meeting with fellow workers for a drink and a dance each week. From then on, their love blossomed, and they got married after courting for a short time. They have three children, Tracey, Joanne and Alan, plus several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Peggy and Les reminisced about their family holidays in their caravan – Peggy put the children to bed fully dressed so they could get an early start in the morning. Together, they have been all around the country and on a few adventures abroad. When asked about the secret to a happy marriage, Peggy said: ‘‘We have just got on with it, haven’t we, Les? Bringing the children up and working hard.’’ Les smiled, and when Well-being and Activities Coordinator Jean commented on how he is always smiling, Les replied: ‘‘That is because I can never get a word in.’’ Both have great banter and always make staff and fellow residents at Astbury Manor laugh. When saying to Les that 69 years is a long time, he replied: ‘‘Tell me about it’’ and gave Peggy a wink. They are both still very much in love and always smiling, which is a joy to see.
We are always delighted to welcome couples to reside in our care homes, and with this comes the joy of being able to celebrate anniversaries for our long-wed couples. We wish all three couples many more happy years together!
