Valentine’s Day might seem a distant memory but love has remained in the air at a care home near Ipswich ever since.

Valentine’s Day might seem a distant memory but love has remained in the air at a care home near Ipswich ever since. Kingsley Healthcare run Spring Lodge, in Woolverstone, unveiled its Weddings Hall of Fame on February 14 and a three week celebration of romance culminated in a wedding tea on Saturday with Champagne and love songs from local musician Bryan Collins.   The event was the highlight of an open day to which the wider public was invited as well as residents’ families.

Manager Louise Coote said: “When we started thinking about Valentine’s Day we thought it would be a shame if our celebration lasted just one day.” The Weddings Hall of Fame gave both residents and staff the chance to display their wedding day pictures with captions recalling the circumstances in which their love blossomed.

A picture of Mrs. Coote and her husband Wayn at their Ipswich wedding in 1992 takes pride of place next to one of resident Mata Tovey and her late husband Pete at their Surrey wedding.   Resident Daphne Shave and her husband John are pictured at their wedding which took place at St Bartholomew’s Church in Ipswich. The caption reveals how they met at the dance hall in Ipswich. The lounge converted into a Weddings Hall of Fame was fittingly dusted with confetti and decorated with wedding memorabilia, including an old wedding dress found in the loft at Spring Lodge.

Mrs. Coote said: “The event encouraged our residents to remember one of the most important days in their life. Reminiscence can help people living with dementia to rekindle their precious memories.”  

Visit Spring Lodge website to find out more about the home