Poole care home residents share secret to happy marriage on diamond anniversary

Love was truly in the air at a Poole care home this month, when a resident and his wife celebrated a very special milestone.

Oscar Isaac, 90, and his wife 80-year-old Gina toasted their 60^th wedding anniversary at Care UK’s The Potteries, on York Road, Broadstone.

Oscar was born in the Dominican Republic, moving to England as a teenager before meeting and falling in love with Gina when he was 25.

The former builder and painter said: “Gina didn’t like me at first and would go out of her way to avoid me. Three years later we started speaking and the rest is history.”

The pair later went on their first date to the cinema to see the iconic film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. On 20^th February 1965, Oscar and Gina married in a small intimate wedding at Bedford Registry Office.

The happy couple now have four children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren and enjoyed celebrating their anniversary surrounded by family, friends and fellow residents. The team at The Potteries arranged a romantic meal for Oscar and Gina and pulled out all the stops to celebrate their love for one another.

A highlight of the couple's 60 years of marriage was playing draughts together, with Gina finding Oscar difficult to beat, and Gina also spoke of how fond she was of the sweet sound of Oscar’s incredible harmonica playing over the years.

When asked what their secret to a happy marriage was, Oscar said: “Music and laughter. Compromise is also extremely important.”

Zita Turner, Home Manager at The Potteries, said: “We were honoured to celebrate this momentous occasion with Oscar and Gina. It’s always heartwarming to see how much Oscar smiles when his wife visits him – their love for one another is plain for all to see!

“Here at The Potteries, we know how important it is to celebrate all of life’s milestones, big and small. This was a very special day for Oscar and Gina, and we loved raising a glass to their long and happy marriage – 60 years is a huge amount of time and there’s lots we can learn from them about building a successful relationship.”

The Potteries has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives in a luxury environment. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. It also boasts plenty of space, both indoors and out, for relaxation and recreation and has its own cinema room, hair and beauty salon and bar.