Olive and David’s Journey Together
Olive and David have been together for 69 years. They married in 1945 and couldn’t afford a Honeymoon, so they borrowed David’s sister’s house for the night. Thinking they had been ‘apple-pied’, they stripped all the sheets off the bed, but luckily, no one had played any tricks on them. The next morning, they were woken early by stones being thrown at the windows and the family asking if they wanted to go motor racing. They had to borrow sixpence from Olive’s mum so they could go.
Olive and David met at Youth Club; Olive was 15, and David was 17. Olive and her friend used to rush through their game of table tennis so they could go and watch the handsome men playing badminton. David was in a relationship, so he didn’t give Olive a second glance until he broke up with his partner, and his friend told him to ask the young girl who was making eyes at him for a date – he hadn’t even noticed her looking!
He asked Olive where she lived and said he would walk her home as it was on his way home, but once he had dropped her off, he went in the opposite direction to his house!
David travelled all over the world as a fighter pilot for the Jet Fighter Pilot 247 Squadron and has written a book about his story, which is proudly displayed in the library at Edenbridge Manor Care Home.
Olive says they have been: “Blessed with a happy marriage and a very happy life.” She thinks the secret to a long and happy marriage is to always have separate TVs, as David likes to watch the football and Olive can’t stand it. Also, marriage takes work; it’s very easy to give up, but work on it all the time, stay separate people and have different interests to keep a marriage alive.
David and Olive’s main concern about being in care was that they wouldn’t be together. David arranged to see Edenbridge Manor just to keep his son-in-law happy, thinking there was no way they would want to move. When they came to visit, they were overjoyed to see inter-connecting rooms so they could stay together; they fell in love with the home and immediately put their house on the market.
David and Olive say the staff are fantastic and take care of their every need, and the activities are so varied that they cater for both separate and joint interests. The church service once a month is the icing on the cake, as they don’t have any need to leave the building if they don’t wish to.
Olive says she loves to sit and look at the church spire out of her window, and the fact she can see the church out of her current room is a sign from God that they are where they need to be.
