Cardiff care home couples reveal their secrets to a happy marriage for Valentine’s Day

 

“Tell the truth – but keep your fingers crossed!” was just one piece of advice shared by couples at a Cardiff care home when they enjoyed a very special Valentine’s Day celebration.

Love was in the air when the team at Care UK’s Llys Cyncoed, on Cyncoed Road, arranged a special celebration for two couples living at the home. Everyone was encouraged to reminisce about their early days together and reveal their secrets to a long and happy marriage. 

The heart-warming afternoon was dedicated to love, laughter, and lasting relationships, and had each couple filled with excitement as they were dressed to the nines to enjoy champagne, and a three course meal which had been thoughtfully prepared by the home’s Head Chef.  

Adding to the ambience of the event, the dining room was filled with heart-shaped balloons and themed table decorations. 

Joining the celebrations were residents John and Patricia Chesney, who have been married for 62 years. The couple met on a Saturday night outside the Park Hotel in the city centre, where John ran across the road to meet Patricia. 

The following week, the pair had their first date at the cinema where romance blossomed over a knickerbocker glory. The couple later married on 2^nd February 1963 at St Peter’s Church in Cardiff. Together they have one daughter, Julia. 

Jokingly reflecting on their marriage, they said one piece of advice they would give to young couples is to: “Tell the truth but keep your fingers crossed!”, adding that having “patience, trust and a sense of humour” was also important.

Also joining the special celebration was resident couple Josephine and Aubrey Langley, aged 91 and 92, who first met in 1958 at the Mostyn Dance Hall. When Aubrey asked Jo to dance the foxtrot together – it was an offer she couldn’t refuse. They had their first date in the back row of a cinema in Pontypool. 

The couple married on 27^th February 1960 at St Peter’s Church in Blaenavon, with a ceremony including 50 of their closest friends and family. They have two sons, Andrew and Martin, and a grandson called Tom.

Aubrey said the secret to a long and happy marriage is: “A good sense of humour”.

Carley Hunt, General Manager at Llys Cyncoed said: “John and Patricia, and Josephine and Aubrey are two love stories for the ages. It was great to be able to organise a special ‘date night’ for both couples. I’d also like to say a special thank you to our wonderful chef for creating such a fantastic menu for the evening.  

“Here at Llys Cyncoed, love is certainly in the air, and it’s been wonderful to encourage so many of the residents to reminisce and share fond memories from their own marriages and relationships. Many wise words were shared that have certainly given us food for thought. 

“We’d like to say thank you to both happy couples for sharing their stories, and congratulate them on their long and happy relationships.” 

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Llys Cyncoed provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, and incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies. The home has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.