Banbury care home helps couple celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary

Officials at Larkrise Care Centre organised a special lunch to help Edward and Rita Crabtree celebrate their 70th anniversary on Tuesday March 29.

Edward lives at the care centre, and his wife, who still lives at home, visits him on a regular basis.

They met by chance, passing each other in the street 72 years ago. Edward caught Rita’s eye and they got talking and arranged a date.

They got married three days after Rita turned 19 on a snowy day in March at St Leonards Church. Their reception was held at Banbury Town Hall.

They went to Blackpool for tyheir honeymoon, which was a bit ‘sloshy with snow.’

A Larkrise Care Centre spokesperson said: “Rita loves that Edward is so caring and Edward loves how lovely Rita is.

“They both said that their advice for a happy marriage is ‘to keep working at it and find ways to work around things’.”