“Don’t smother one another” – Leamington Spa care home residents share advice this Valentine’s Day

Leamington Spa care home residents have come together to share their secrets to a long and happy marriage.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the team at Care UK’s Priors House, on Old Milverton Lane, put on a romantic event for residents at the home – and celebrated the stories of three couples.

The team decorated the lounge with balloons and candles, and the home’s head chef prepared a romantic meal, a roast with all the trimmings, served with champagne to toast the special couples.  

As part of the festivities, the team encouraged the couples to reminisce about their early days together, and they revealed their secrets to a long and happy marriage.

It was love at first sight for 81-year-old Pauline Gibbs and her husband Anthony, aged 88, when their paths crossed as they were walking their dogs at the Warwick Common. The pair were married not long after, in 1997, at St Marys Church, in Warwick. The couple agreed the best advice for a long, happy marriage is to remember that space is important and be mindful not to smother one another!

Residents Margaret and Francis Arnold, aged 92 and 93, have been married for 68 years. The pair met in Egypt during World War Two on New Year’s Eve in 1951. After enjoying their first date at the cinema, the couple were married in 1954 and went on to have two daughters, and now also have two grandchildren, and twin great-grandchildren. Margaret and Francis’ three pieces of advice for couples today are to accept your own and your partners’ mistakes, take advice when it comes your way and remember that marriage is for life.

89-year-old resident Mavis met her husband 91-year-old Alan at the London Gliding Club, which inspired their first date. After being unsuccessful in their gliding attempt, the couple agreed it was time to pack up and instead carried the night on in a pub where sparks began to fly over a few drinks – and they have been joined at the hip ever since, having been married for 62 years. Mavis and Alan’s advice for a long, happy marriage is total loyalty to one another – “through thick and thin, ill-health or fights, we have always been there to support one another”.

 

Francine Summers, Home Manager at Priors House, said: “We could all learn a thing or two from our couples at Priors House and their happy marriages, so we thought Valentine’s Day was the perfect opportunity to encourage them to reminisce and share their pearls of wisdom.  

“Many of the residents have also been reminiscing and sharing memories of their own past loves; it was lovely to hear stories from everyone’s younger years.    

“We’d like to say a big thank you to all the couples for their wise words – and a very happy Valentine's Day to these incredible couples!”

Priors House is a state-of-the-art care home which provides 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 very own cinema and hair salon, and there is plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation. 

To find out more about Priors House, please contact Customer Relations Manager, Maria Cridge, on 01926 675 217 or email maria.cridge@careuk.com

For more general information, visit careuk.com/priors-house