Suffolk care home couples share marriage tips that stand the test of time for Valentine’s Day

 

Love was in the air when the team at Care UK’s Mildenhall Lodge, on St John’s Close, arranged a special celebration for the 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 event, dedicated to love, laughter, and lasting relationships, had all the couples filled with excitement as they were dressed to the nines to enjoy champagne and a specially prepared lunch, followed by a party with live music.

Adding to the ambience of the event, the coffee shop was filled with heart-shaped balloons and there were rose petals scattered on the tables. 

One of Mildenhall Lodge’s resident couples, Mary, 89, and John Wood, 92, have been married for 67 years, and enjoyed the special party and sharing happy memories from their impressively long marriage together. They met in 1950 at a dance and it was “love at first sight” for John, who asked Mary on a first date at their local pub. The couple went on to marry in 1958 and raised three children together, and they now share seven of grandchildren. 

Mary’s career saw her work in the lab at Boots in Nottingham, until she became a full-time mother, while John enjoyed working as a pig farmer.  After the children grew up, the happy couple travelled the world together – visiting the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Reflecting on their many years of marriage, Mary revealed “being yourself” is what makes them the happiest.

The couple were joined by fellow residents Molly and Ted Huggins, aged 90 and 88, who are celebrating over 40 years of marriage this year. The pair met in Fordham and it was “love at first sight” for Molly, but Ted said: “It wasn’t love at first sight, but she did look lovely!” They spent their first date at the pictures and watched ‘Black Beauty’, before Molly returned home for her curfew of 8pm.

Molly’s career saw her work in a jam and bottle factory, while Ted joined the National Service, aged 14, and then he worked at Parkers Mill in Mildenhall. The happy couple lived in Fordham and then later moved to Mildenhall, and on the weekends they enjoyed dancing together at Mildenhall Working Man’s Club. 

Molly and Ted had one daughter together, Eileen, and they are now proud grandparents to two grandchildren.

Ted said: “staying out of the way or going fishing is the secret to a long and happy marriage!”

Also attending the dinner was married duo Joyce and Josephe Dukes, aged 84 and 90. The couple met in Feltwell and Joseph confessed: “It wasn’t love at first sight, but I did like the look of her!”

Joyce added: “Joseph looked nice and so it was love at first sight for me.”

After a first date at the pictures, Joseph and Joyce became inseparable and went on a second date enjoying drinks at the Oak Hotel, in Feltwell. The pair married in 1959 and are celebrating 88 years of marriage this year. 

Joyce and Joseph raised four children together- Shaun, Kevin, Suzanne and Lorraine - and now have eight grandchildren.

Joseph’s career saw him work as a prison officer for 13 years, before he joined the army for 22 years, which saw the pair live in Hong Kong for two years and in Germany for seven years. Joyce worked in the NAAFI shop in Germany and as a Prison Manageress.

When asked what the secret to a long and happy marriage, Joseph said: “trust”

Hannah Nurse, Home Manager at Mildenhall Lodge, said: “Mary and John, Molly and Ted, and Joyce and Joseph are three love stories for the ages. It was great to be able to organise a special ‘date night’ for each of them in honour of Valentine’s Day. I’d like to say a special thank you to our hard-working team for making the evening so memorable, and to our wonderful chef for creating such a fantastic menu.  

“Here at Mildenhall Lodge, 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 all the happy couples for sharing their stories, and proving that true love really can stand the test of time.” 

Mildenhall Lodge is a modern care home providing full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the home has its own cinema, pub and hair salon, and there is plenty of space, both indoors and out, for relaxation and recreation.