Saying ‘I love you’ is the secret to doting couple’s marriage as they mark their 70th wedding anniversary

A loving couple celebrated 70 years of marriage at a Norwich care home surrounded by their friends and family

A loving couple celebrated 70 years of marriage at a Norwich care home surrounded by their friends and family.

Derrick and Sheila marked the incredible milestone at Brooklands Care Home, on Costessey Lane, with a surprise party organised by caring staff at the 64 bedroomed home, which provides high quality residential, nursing and specialist dementia care.

Family and friends were waiting in the home’s private dining room to surprise the pair, who put their lifelong love affair down to three little words.

“You never stop saying I love you. Every morning, every night, we tell each other we love one another, and we always share a kiss,” said Sheila.

“We were young and in love and when he got down on one knee to propose, I didn’t hesitate to yes straight away.

“It was a wonderful surprise to have our family with us to celebrate, as long as we have our family and each other, that’s all we need.”

The couple first met when Sheila was 17 and Derrick was serving in the RAF and, after getting married at St Catherine’s Church, Norwich, in 1955, they waited another 25 years for their honeymoon – a trip of a lifetime to America where Sheila’s sister lives.

“From the first day we met until this very moment, I still love Sheila. Always have, always will,” said Derrick, who wrote Shiela a special poem to mark the platinum anniversary.

Lifestyle coordinator Laure Van Minden said: “Derrick and Shiela still spend their days together here at Brooklands and it’s clear they are still very much in love. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Derrick read Shiela his poem.

“We really wanted to make it a special day for them so we worked with their family to make sure we got everything just right and kept it all a secret.

“They are a joy around the home and love to take part in activities together but also enjoy just being together and we are so happy to be able to offer them a place to do that and continue making new memories together.

“You only need to see them together for a minute to see how much they are still in love and their family is so important to them both. So it was lovely for us and their loved ones to be able to make a fuss of them.”