69 YEARS FOR UXBRIDGE COUPLE

Mr Earnest Beesley and Mrs Doris Beesley, residents of Bupa’s Clare House Nursing Home, Harefield Road, Uxbridge, are looking forward to celebrating their 69th wedding anniversary on Monday 4 October with a special lunch at 12.30pm. Earnest and Doris married in 1941, after meeting six years previously at the Bilton Road Club, where they would go dancing. Earnest proposed after he was called up for duty abroad, and they spent their honeymoon in Truro, Cornwall. Earnest spent over six years as a serviceman and was a survivor of the HMS Lancastria disaster, Britain's worst maritime disaster of World War II. Over 3,000 people lost their lives that day as the vessel was bombed on the 17 June 1940. The couple were unable to contact each other throughout their time apart as Earnest was never in one location long enough, so Doris passed the time by working for the Hoover company. When asked what the secret to a happy and lasting marriage is, Doris responded: “As a couple I believe it is very important to be tolerant towards each other. We are very committed to each other and when we got married we were honouring that commitment and have been ever since. We make sure that we make time for each other and make the most of what we have.” Felicia Joseph, home manager of Bupa’s Clare House Nursing Home Home, said: “We are pleased to be celebrating this special occasion with Earnest and Doris. They have been residents at the home for over two years and this is a huge achievement. We wish them every happiness on their anniversary.”