Sweet Valentines are still in love 70 years on
ACOUPLE at a care home celebrated 70 years of marriage this Valentine’s Day.
Gordon Platt, 95 and Sheila Platt, 94, are both residents at Barley View care home in Rochdale,.
The pair marked Valentine’s Day this year by celebrating 70 years of marriage.
They met while teenagers when Gordon was working with Sheila’s brother Jim on a farm in Newhey. Sheila was only 14 at the time.
After becoming firm friends they tied the knot when Gordon was 25 and Sheila 24.
The ceremony took place at St Josephs Catholic Church in Shaw on March 29 1952 and the most vivid memory of their wedding day all those years ago was the weather.
Taking place during a snowy blizzard the couple remember that the central heating in the church had packed in so it was freezing.
They also remember how their friend brought a record player, which played all their favourite songs which they danced to all night at the reception.
Before moving into the care home the pair lived first in a rented cottage in
Newhey for a few years, before buying a house on Shaw Road, Rochdale.
When living in the cottage Sheila used to go out every week and paint the fence panels with a tiny brush.
Gordon worked on a farm and then moved on to work for Coin Controls, a company which made slot machines.
Sheila meanwhile started work in the cotton mills and after she was made redundant Gordon’s boss got her a job as a brew maker, known as the kitchen manager.
But what are their secrets for a successful marriage?
According to Gordon it’s saying: “Yes dear”.
He also said that, “you must be able to duck fast if your wife is like mine.”
Sheila said that the key to their lasting relationship was having a good sense of humour and said that if she could go back in time and marry Gordon all over again then she would.
Despite their long relationship the couple said they never used to go on dates, but say they look back on fond memories of the holidays they enjoyed together, especially their trip to Malta.
The pair, who did not have any children, are now spending their time at the care home in Whitworth together.