A lifetime of love: Harrow residents share the secrets behind 106 years of marriage

“Don’t be selfish” is just one of the pieces of advice given by residents at a care home in Harrow this Valentine’s season, as two of them celebrated a combined 106 years of marriage.

Love was in the air when the team at Care UK’s Buchanan Court, on Sudbury Hill, held a special celebration for couples Lynda and Michael Hatfield, and Melanie and Nicholas Loizou.

Born in Park Royal Hospital and raised in Wembley, Lynda met her husband Michael when they were children. They grew up as neighbours before their friendship gradually blossomed into something more.

The couple married in 1969 and settled in Perivale, where they raised three children. Lynda worked locally while Michael spent 40 years at the Guinness brewery. After he retired, they moved to Dorset to enjoy a quieter life together.

Reflecting on their marriage, Lynda shared her advice for keeping love strong. She said, “always please each other.”

She also believes in fairness and partnership, advising younger couples to “not be selfish”, and to always “share household responsibilities”.

On thing Lynda treasures is the wedding rings she and Michael exchanged as they’re reminder of the life and love they built together.

Meanwhile, Melanie’s love story began thousands of miles away. Born in Cyprus in 1939 to Theodoros and Maritsa, Melanie was the top pupil in her primary school before moving to England, where she later met her husband, Nicholas.

The pair were introduced by a mutual friend and, as Melanie recalls, they “struck a chord straight away”. They married in London in 1962 and went on to build a life filled with family, faith and travel. Both of Greek origin and Greek Orthodox, they shared a connection to their heritage and loved visiting Cyprus, Jerusalem, Greece and the Holy Land.

The couple also worked side by side for many years, Nicholas as a seamster and Melanie as a finisher. Together, they crafted jackets for stars including Sean Connery, Omar Sharif, Bruce Forsyth, Tom Jones, Tom Cruise and Barbra Streisand.

Having been married for 66 years, Melanie says the secret to lasting love is simple: “Never forget to say ‘I love you’ to your partner every day.”

Today, Nicholas continues to visit her regularly at Buchanan Court, spending quality time with her just as they always have.

Laurentiu Lordachescu, Home Manager at Buchanan Court, said: “Hearing the love stories of both Melanie and Lynda and their impressive combined 106 years of marriage, has been truly inspiring for everyone here at Buchanan Court.

“Moving into a care home doesn’t mean the end of celebrating special milestones. Valentine’s Day is a date many couples who live with us look forward to every year, so we’ve truly enjoyed planning a special celebration to help Lynda, Michael, Melanie and Nicholas celebrate. 

“Their advice is something we can all learn from, and we hope it’ll inspire many in our community.”

Buchanan Court provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable its residents to lead enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the home has its very own cinema room, pub and hair and beauty salon, and there is plenty of space – both indoors and out – for relaxation and recreation.