A SPECIAL afternoon tea celebrated the 70th wedding anniversary of Arthur and Mary Freeland at brighterkind’s Westbury Court Care Home.
The home’s Magic Moments Club team arranged the event with a beautiful celebratory cake and asked the couple to share memories of their wedding day and honeymoon.
The couple got married in 1950 at Holy Trinity Church in Claygate, Surrey and the reception was held in Mary’s parents’ garden. They spent their honeymoon in a caravan near Bognor Regis and although it rained most of the time, they enjoyed day trips to Hastings and Eastbourne.
Mary told the team her head-dress was made from crystal beads from her gran’s shop and beech nuts collected from the local common. Mary’s mother made her wedding dress with fabric from Selfridges where she worked. She also made the three-tier wedding cake, which was iced by a lady who lived down the road.
Her bouquet of flowers was given to her by her uncle who was friends with a local florist and Mary said that when it arrived, she had to trim some off as it was so big. She still laughs about it today saying “I don’t think the florist realised I was so small.”
Arthur recalled breaking the gas lights when they first arrived at the caravan and having to go out to buy new mantles for them before anyone realised!
The home’s Magic Moments Club co-ordinator Suzanne Holmes said, “It’s not every day you get to help a couple celebrate their platinum anniversary and it was a real privilege to be part of their special occasion.”
Mary said, “I can’t get over how much fuss has been made of us today. We just didn’t expect all this and we’ve had such a lovely time.”
Westbury Court Care Home is located in Station Road and provides residential care, nursing care, dementia care, palliative care and respite care.
Pictured Arthur and Mary on their wedding day in 1950.
