Making Valentine’s Day three times as special at nursing home

The Kingsley Healthcare home in Wellington Road, Brackley, has ensured love is in the air by organising a Valentine’s Day high tea for all the residents, their partners and families. And for the three couples – Peter and Doreen, Colin and Phyllis and David and Marie – the occasion will be capped by a romantic meal out in the coming days.

Julie Wilson, the home's Customer Relations Manager, said : "We are thrilled to have three couples living with us and it makes Valentine's Day all the more special. We have brought extra sparkle to our high tea by adding Champagne."

She said only one couple had come into the home together; the other two were reunited after a few months apart when one spouse followed the other into the home.

Julie said : "As Doreen said, 'there was no way I was going to stay at home when my husband was at Brackley Care Home having a whole lot of fun'."

Peter and Doreen got married in March 1952 and she borrowed her cousin's white velvet wedding dress for the occasion.

When asked how they met, Doreen said she was invited to a "hop" by Peter's sister and Peter just happened to be on leave from the RAF at that time. Romance blossomed from then.

They set off in Doreen's father's car for an eventful honeymoon in Somerset.

"It snowed and snowed and we got stuck in a snow drift," she recalled. Thankfully they were rescued and offered a room for the night which happened to be in a freezing attic. They were then able to continue on to their hotel in Cheddar Gorge the next day where they had a wonderful time.

The couple went on to have three sons and a daughter.

Doreen laughed when she recalled how they used to send each other Valentine cards "incognito" - they both knew who the cards were from but never admitted they had sent them.

Colin and Phyllis have been together for 40 years and met up when their respective spouses had passed away.

Phyllis went to work for Colin and accompanied him to various company functions and from there, their romance blossomed. Both stated how lucky they are to have found love for a second time and between them share six children.

They don't believe that Valentine's Day should be celebrated on only one day of the year as they show their love for each other every day.

David and Marie had both lost their spouses and David decided to join a walking group which is where he met Marie, who is an avid walker.

He said that he noticed her immediately and within a couple of days had asked her out on a date to Winchester College to watch the opera Carmen. They realised that they were kindred spirits with so much in common and were married 18 months later in Winchester.

Together they share six children. As a couple they do not officially celebrate Valentine's Day and feel that love should be shown every day in many small and meaningful ways.