Windsor Court care home in Wetherby has helped to reunite married couple, Mike and Sue Nightingale, after two long months apart due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sue moved into the care home on Sandbeck Way just before the start of Covid-19 and due to government guidelines, Mike had been unable to visit. They missed each other so much that Mike decided to also move to Windsor Court and an emotional reunion left everyone crying with happiness for the couple.
The couple, who celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary last year, confessed that since their marriage began, they have never spent more than a few nights apart. However, the pair are delighted to now be reunited and back in each other’s arms following Mike’s decision to move into the care home to be closer to his wife.
The couple share a keen interest in sports and were set up on a blind date by Sue’s mother after she met Mike at the local tennis club and was immediately taken by his charm. Sue said, ‘It was like the age old saying, ‘mother always knows best’ and she did!’. Mike and Sue enjoyed regular dates to the local dance halls which led to them both becoming keen ballroom dancers.
It was not long until Mike proposed, and they excitedly tied the knot in 1959 at the Gaventry church with all their friends and family. Sue said, ‘My wedding day was beautiful and one of my fondest memories that I will forever treasure’. For their honeymoon, Mike surprised his bride with a trip to London with tickets to Sue’s favourite show, My Fair Lady. Mike said, ‘I knew tickets to My Fair Lady would be like handing Sue a winning lottery ticket, she could watch that show over and over again and never be bored!’.
The newlyweds decided to take some time to travel the globe following their wedding, visiting many exotic countries, with their favourite destinations being India, South Africa and Australia.
The pair eventually settled in Yorkshire where they raised their two boys and have since welcomed five grandchildren and many more great grandchildren to their family.
Mike said:
After spending over 60 years with the love of my life by my side, being unable to see her made me incredibly upset and lonely. I am so glad I have been able to move into Windsor Court and continue to live my life with my beautiful wife.
Sue said:
I am so pleased that Mike and I are reunited, I love and missed him dearly and felt so giddy to see him on the day he moved in. The staff here are brilliant, not to mention incredibly thoughtful, so I know we will live very happily here’
The couple’s son, Duncan Nightingale, said:
After months apart, I am so pleased to see my parents together again. The staff at the home have been brilliant and it was such a special moment to be there as they were reunited in the homes’ beautiful garden – I know they are in great hands at Windsor Court.
Home Manager, Paula Mountjoy, said:
We are so pleased to be able to reunite this fabulous couple, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house when they set eyes on each other for the first time. After hearing all the wonderful stories about their marriage, it was no wonder they couldn’t bear to be without each other’.
