At Bernard Sunley, the Woking-based residential, nursing and dementia care home run by Charity Friends of the Elderly, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, residents Helen and Geoff Harrold have been celebrating not only Valentine’s Day but also their 53rd wedding anniversary.
The happy couple, who got married on February 12, 1972, live together at Bernard Sunley. Geoff has been a resident at the care home since 2022 with Helen joining him a while after.
“I suffered a stroke,” said Helen. “So as soon as I was back up on my feet, I thought it would be a great idea to move into Bernard Sunley, not only to be with Geoff 24/7, but to be looked after by the thoughtful and wonderful care team."
To celebrate their 53rd anniversary and Valentine’s Day, the care team created a romantic dining experience for the couple in the care home’s bright conservatory.
“There’s no official 53rd anniversary gift,” said Monika Ahmed, the Activities Coordinator at Bernard Sunley. “After doing a bit of research, I found out that Cherry Blossom flowers and the colour pink are linked to 53 years of marriage. So, we decorated the Conservatory with both a 53 year and Valentine’s feel.”
As Helen and Geoffrey enjoyed their delicious romantic lunch, they reminisced about their lives together. They first met when they worked for Barclays Bank on Soho Road in Birmingham. Geoff was the Branch Manager and Helen a Cashier. “Helen stood out from all the other ladies, she was – and still is – confident, funny, chatty and, of course beautiful,” said Geoff.
“When I first met and worked with Geoff he was very serious, rather quiet and conservative, I could not have been more wrong,” said a smiling Helen. “It didn’t take long for the staff to get to know the real ‘Geoff’. The ‘Geoff’ who has a great his sense of humour and is so funny. All the staff loved him.”
For their first date, Geoff took Helen to a Chinese restaurant in Cradley Heath. “We both love Chinese food, so a Chinese restaurant seemed to be the perfect place to go,” continued Geoff.
It didn’t take Geoff and Helen long to know they wanted to get married and spend the rest of their lives together. “I didn’t propose in the traditional way,” said Geoff. “It was a mutual decision. We went to ask both our parents if they were happy for us to get married. They could see we were – and still are – the perfect match, so gave us their blessings and the rest is history.”
The happy couple tied the knot in back 12th February 1972, which was a time when, as a result of the Miners’ strikes, the country was suffering from a series of nationwide blackouts.
“We got married at the Methodist Church in Ruislip, which was close to my parents’ house. It was such a special day, one we’ll never forget as it was full of unforgettable moments,” added Helen.
“My Dad and I went to the church in the last car. My Dad was always punctual and made sure we arrived on time. As we got out of the car, the organ was playing beautifully and literally, as we stepped over the threshold into the church, it went silent. We were a bit stunned as all of a sudden a piano struck up and carried on playing. It was due to another power cut, which meant the organ wouldn’t work anymore,” laughed Helen.
“The power cuts then tried to get involved in our reception,” Continued Geoff. “Another blackout hit the venue, but it turned out beautifully as we had the Wedding meal and speeches by candle light, which added to the romance if you ask me.”
The new Mr and Mrs Harrold honeymooned in Guernsey, the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, which is only 27 miles off the coast of Normandy, but over the years have shared some amazing holidays.
“We have always loved to travel and visit new and exotic places,” said Helen. “We’ve been very fortunate to have been able to visit many places. Our holidays have been a Nile Cruise in Egypt and a Safari holiday in Kenya."
“Egypt and Kenya were both amazing places to visit, but Guernsey holds a special place in my heart as that’s where I got Helen’s engagement ring,” said Geoff.
Geoff and Helen became parents to their two sons, Nicholas and Andrew and are now proud grandparents to Andrew’s two sons Jonah and George. “The boys are great, so funny they must get that from Geoff,” added Helen.
Talking about their happy and long marriage, both Helen and Geoff believe their secret is to always stick together. “Like every married couple, we’ve had some disagreements and discussions, but we always come back together, we always stick together,” continued Geoff.
“We have had healthy arguments but come out with mutual decisions in the end. Knowing that we always have each other, we’re now nigh on merged into the same person, is priceless,” added Helen.
“We laugh a lot, are always messing around joking and teasing each other – and we make sure we hold hands,” said Geoff. “We also have very strong family values as both our parents had happy marriages and were great role models for us, which we’ve passed on to our sons.”
Andy Cumper, the Registered Manager at Bernard Sunley said: “Geoff and Helen are a fantastic couple and are so much fun to be around. They are always laughing and joking together and bring so much joy and happiness to the care home. Everyone absolutely adores them.
"We wanted to make sure that we spoilt them and celebrated Valentine’s Day and their milestone 53rd wedding anniversary as they mean so much to all of us here at Bernard Sunley. We wanted them to have a special day to let them know just how special they are to all of us.”
“When we planning our wedding, my Mother gave us some good advice, which I’d pass on to any young couple about to get married,” continued Helen. “Love your spouse, make each other smile, laugh and just get on with it.
"We definitely love each other, are always smiling and laughing and have just got on with it - it’s worked marvellously for us,” concluded Helen.