A Never-Ending Love Story For Aberdeen Couple Celebrating Their 57TH Valentine’s Day
A couple celebrating their 57th Valentine’s Day together have recalled the highlights of their ever-lasting love story.
Margaret and George Simpson met in 1966 during a chance encounter at Tivoli theatre in Aberdeen. While Margaret was working as an usherette, George had visited the theatre to see a show and said it was ‘love at first sight’ when he laid eyes on his future wife.
George said: “I knew as soon as I laid eyes on Margaret that she was the one for me. It might sound a bit cheesy but it was love at first sight and I just knew in that moment that I had met my wife. Here we are, 57 years later, and I get that same feeling every time I see Margaret.”
Margaret, a former ARI nursing auxiliary, and George, a plumber, got married on 15 November 1968 at the local Registrar's office in Aberdeen, followed by a night of dancing at their reception in Atholl Hotel.
Unfortunately, the perfect start to their fairytale romance wasn’t to last. The couple’s honeymoon was beset by a plethora of issues, ranging from a dodgy hotel to a forgetful receptionist. Eventually, the couple called their holiday short and decided to visit George’s brother in East Kilbride to start married life – not quite what they had imagined.
Margaret said: “The honeymoon was a disaster! We arrived and the lady who welcomed us had forgotten we had booked in – in hindsight it was a blessing as the place wasn’t the romantic getaway location we had hoped for and George’s brother’s home in East Kilbride seemed a lot more desirable at this moment.
“We can laugh about it now but it certainly wasn’t the smooth sailing start to married life we were hoping for.”
Margaret and George went on to welcome two children, Mark and Craig, who then went on to have their own children making the couple grandparents to five, two boys and three girls.
Margaret and George retired to Leggart Terrace in Aberdeen City before a period of ill-heath meant the couple were faced with the tough decision to live separately – Margaret took up residence at local care home, Renaissance-run Cowdray Club, while George remained in their marital home.
George commented: “We were heartbroken when we realised Margaret needed a supported housing environment to live a happy and fulfilled life. We have spent every day of our lives together so to suddenly be separated - I felt like I had lost a limb.
“I would visit Margaret every day, and I could see how happy she was at Cowdray Club – she was thriving, she had made a lot of new friends and she was finding joy in activities she had never tried before. I was so pleased to see that she was happy, but it was bittersweet having to go home to the empty house after our visits every evening. “
A short while after Margaret left the marital home, George had a fall that resulted in a broken hip meaning he would also benefit from supported accommodation. The opportunity to move back in with his wife was an easy decision. George and Margaret now live together, in shared accommodation, at Cowdray Club meaning they never have to spend a day apart again.
Margaret said: “It’s a dream come true to have George here with me. The couples accommodation means we can live our married life here at Cowdray Club together – no more visits, no more empty homes and no more painful goodbyes.”
The couple have an impressive 57years of romance behind them but are still very much in love with one and other and work hard to make each other feel special and celebrated.
George said: “We love each other very much and I can’t imagine life any other way, but let me be clear – it's not always been easy and like every relationship we have our ups and downs. That’s normal. But we know we are soulmates and the good times always outweigh the bad times.”
Cowdray Club’s spacious environment has been designed to create a safe and supportive home for all residents. It boasts 30 single occupancy rooms and five ‘companion rooms’ where couples can live together. The home has a highly qualified team of nursing staff and trained carers who provide 24-hour nursing and general care.
Cowdray Club is part of the Renaissance Care Group, it currently operates 16 homes located across Scotland and currently provides care provision for 760 residents and employs around 1,150 staff.
