Special Care Home Visit Marks Elderly Couples 65th Wedding Anniversary At Jesmond Care Home
An elderly couple have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with a special outdoor lunch at Jesmond Care Home in Aberdeen.
Resident at the care home Andy Davidson (88) was delighted to enjoy some food and a whisky or two with his wife Margaret (86), having been apart from each other throughout lockdown.
The couple reminisced over their time together with wedding pictures and images from throughout the years. Andy, who has the ‘patience of a saint’ according to his wife, has been preparing for the special day for weeks, making a lovely picture for Margaret with a blue heart (pictured) to represent their Sapphire anniversary.
Their daughter Brenda gifted cushions with a picture of each so they can cuddle up together while visitations in care homes remain restricted, and organised a cake giving her parents a day to remember.
The couple were separated by a Perspex screen made by home maintenance man Laszlo, adhering to social distance rules, while activities coordinator Jade ordered a personalised banner to decorate the event.
The couple met at work in 1951 and married on 30 July 1955 at New Deer South Church, Turriff. Andy worked for a local builder’s firm before going off to do his national service for two years, on his return Margaret had started as the new clerk in the office. Andy was friends with Margaret’s brother Sandy who formally introduced the pair at a dance.
At another dance, this time at New Deer, which eventually became their wedding venue, Andy proposed.
Margaret said: “Andy was always a quiet man. We were walking along the road and he turned to me and said: ‘Let’s get married’.”
Andy and Margaret are parents to daughter Brenda and son Andrew, and have three lovely grandchildren and a new addition to the family with their first great grandchild. Unfortunately with lockdown visitation restricting care home residents to one designated visitor, the whole family couldn’t celebrate together however they sent cards and have remained connected virtually since the beginning of the pandemic.
When asked what the secret was to a long and happy marriage, Andy replied: “They have just always gotten along fine.”
He went on to say he had a great day and he “couldn’t believe it had been 65 years”. Staff were taken away with his constant compliments to Margaret as he kept telling her “she looked really good”.
Jade McGowan, activities coordinator at Renaissance Care’s Jesmond Care Home, said: “It was great to be able to help set the anniversary celebration up for Andy and Margaret. Lockdown has been tough for all of our residents’ loved ones and it’s been fantastic seeing them reunite over the last few weeks, but to mark 65 years of love between the pair was extra special.”
