Woking care home couple reveal their secret to marriage this Valentine’s Day

 

Love was in the air at a Woking care home when one couple shared their love story and secrets to a happy marriage as part of a Valentine's themed celebration. 

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the team at Care UK’s Greenview Hall, on Streets Heath, arranged a romantic meal for residents Alba and Yorath Trebble, aged 85 and 87, to reminisce over their 63 years of marriage. 

The special celebration included a three-course meal prepared by the home’s Head Chef, which took place in the home’s lounge, which had been transformed into a romantic setting and decorated with banners and balloons for the special occasion. The happy couple reminisced about their early days together and revealed their secret to a happy marriage.

When asked what advice they would give to young couples, Alba and Yorath said their biggest secret to a successful marriage is: “To be good friends, respect each other and be intellectually balanced.”

The couple first met in Edinburgh through mutual friends, where Alba said it was love at first sight. Their first date was at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, after which their relationship blossomed, and the couple eventually married in 1961 in Ilfracombe, Devon. Officially tying the knot surrounded by loved ones, Alba recalled the beautiful wedding dress she had made for the big day and what a lovely celebration it was. 

The couple went on to have two children, Timothy and Sally, and now have five grandchildren, who often visit them at Greenview Hall. 

Reflecting on some of their favourite memories together, the couple recalled one of their best experiences after they retired in their 50s in 1998. Together they embarked on “the holiday of a lifetime” to Australia for seven weeks. During their time there, they visited Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Cairnes, Alice, Ayes, and Darwin and they recall spotting moths the size of oranges. 

The couple moved into Greenview Hall in 2022 and are much-loved residents in the home, enjoying the company of other people and taking part in the activities on offer, especially quizzes and insightful talks.

Meera Govindapilai, General Manager at Greenview Hall, said: “We were delighted to host a romantic afternoon this Valentine's Day for the fabulous duo Alba and Yorath. They are such a lovely couple who care about one another so much.

“Celebrating Valentine’s Day has allowed many of the residents at Greenview Hall to share their advice and wisdom about relationships and marriage – which we could all learn a lot from! It’s wonderful to hear everyone’s warm memories and celebrate all these wonderfully long and happy relationships. 

“We’d like to say thank you to Alba and Yorath for sharing their story and advice with us—they truly are the perfect match!”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Greenview Hall incorporates plenty of space leisure activities and hobbies. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.