There were three reasons to celebrate for Spring Lodge care home resident Janice Woodhams and her husband John

There were three reasons to celebrate for Spring Lodge care home resident Janice Woodhams and her husband John.   For their special meal in the conservatory of the Kingsley Healthcare home in Woolverstone, near Ipswich, marked the couple’s birthdays both on the same day, January 30 – and was also an advance celebration of their 53rd wedding anniversary on February 15. It was followed by a “firework” birthday cake made by the home’s chef Andy Gray and the whole occasion was shared by the family dog Jackson, a German Shepherd/ Rottweiler cross.

Mr. Woodhams, 76, a retired director of Ipswich diving firm, Diveline, recalled how the couple had met at a dance in 1963 when he was in the RAF based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. He said: “I saw this tall blue eyed blonde and thought ‘let’s go and talk to her’. “When she said her birthday was on January 30, the same day as mine, I thought she was taking the mickey. “After talking to her for about 30 minutes I said, ‘can I kiss you’ and she said ‘Oh yes’. “That was it for me. My heart was pounding and my head was spinning. After meeting her in August we were married in February.”

Mr. Woodhams remained in the RAF until 1971 when he left to become a professional diver. They moved to Ipswich 30 years ago and he still lives at the family home off Broadlands Way. The couple have three grown up children, Dean, Dale and Tracey, and two grandsons. Mr. Woodhams said: “I have taken Jan everywhere during our life together. We were posted to Singapore for two and a half years when I was in the RAF and we have been all over the Mediterranean.”   His wife, 79, who is now living with dementia, has been at Spring Lodge since 2012.