A couple who met when they lived just two houses apart as children have marked their 60th wedding anniversary.
Roy and Patricia Elliott tied the knot on 19 February, 1966, and celebrated their diamond anniversary at Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe, where they both live.
Staff arranged for Roy to present his wife with a card and flowers, and treated the couple to a romantic meal and special cake. The Home will host a celebratory lunch for their family at the weekend.
Royal Star & Garter is a charity which provides loving, compassionate care and support to residents and their families living with disability or dementia, from Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe and Worthing. It also provides services reaching out into the community, including Day Care, Lunch Club and a national Telephone Friendship Service.
Roy and Patricia are both living with dementia and have been at Royal Star & Garter since 2023.
As children, the pair would play together in their shared backyard in Sheffield, and Roy remembers pushing Patricia around in her buggy.
Roy went on to join the Navy and served for 10 years. Though they were not a couple when he signed up, the pair were smitten with one another, and they looked forward to seeing each other when Roy returned home on leave. They eventually got together and married, and went on to have two children.
Now grandparents, the couple enjoyed their special anniversary meal in a private dining area at Royal Star & Garter, decorated by staff with balloons and banners, before tucking into a special cake.
Their son Greg said:
“It’s quite a story that my parents have known each other since Dad was six and Mum was only one, and it’s lovely that they are able to still be together at Royal Star & Garter celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. I’m grateful that staff made it such a special day for them, and we later had a wonderful afternoon celebrating their anniversary.”
Greg stressed the importance of his parents being able to remain together at this stage of their lives:
“If they weren’t together, I think they’d both be deeply unhappy. They’d be lost without each other.”
Jean Fanning, Deputy Home Manager at Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe said:
“We understand how important it is for couples to remain together when they move into care, particularly when one or both are living with dementia. Being together helps maintain wellbeing and supports both their comfort and security. We are able to adapt our care to meet the needs of each person and every couple.”
The charity has several couples living in its Homes. On Valentine’s Day, staff laid on romantic meals for them. Other residents did not miss out – they enjoyed tea parties, live music, heart-shaped chocolates and much more.
Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe is welcoming new residents. For more information on this, its other services or to work at the Home, go to www.starandgarter.org/hw
