Signature at Hendon Hall, a luxury care home nestled in the heart of Finchley, North London, has been celebrating its resident couple’s love stories in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.
Reminiscing on their time together, Marianne and Peter Summerfield, who have shared an impressive and colourful life together, are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year.
Marianne and Peter first met at a dance at a London hotel, when she was 17 and he was 21. Her first impression of Peter was that he was too old for her!
They enjoyed an evening of exploring different dance styles, including quick-step and samba. After this, they went out together quite a bit.
Peter remarked:
“I liked her very much from the beginning. She was one of the first girls that I introduced to my mother. And I remember saying to her, that this was the type of girl that I’d like to get married to.”
However, Peter and Marianne spent many years not having any contact with each other, before fate brought them back together. They both married other people, who ended up leaving them both.
When Peter found himself single and upset about his first marriage ending, he reached out to Marianne once again, as they were still living in the same area. When they reconnected over coffee, they both realised they were meant to be together, and neither wanted the date to end!
Marianne recalled:
“When he knocked on my door, I asked him in for a cup of coffee, and this time, I just knew from that moment, that we’d end up together.”
They re-married shortly thereafter. A huge point of connection between the two is that they were both born in Germany and of Jewish background, having to escape the Nazis to Britain. Peter was in the army for two years on behalf of the British government, and to this day, the couple has been heavily involved with speaking on behalf of the Holocaust Educational Trust. Their shared history has brought them even closer together.
Together, the couple have enjoyed playing tennis together throughout their shared life, and going on walks (even though Marianne had to bribe Peter with a trip to the pub at the end of the trek!).
Peter insisted that it’s important to look beyond the superficial things. The secret to a happy relationship, he believes, is to never go to bed angry with each other, to make each other laugh, and to give each other space when needed.
Marianne also added that usually, arguments are never worth the fuss.
Between the two of them, the couple has five children from their previous marriages, who produced twelve grandchildren combined!
As Signature at Hendon Hall celebrates the enduring love story of Peter and Marianne this Valentine’s Day, the care home invites the local community to embrace the essence of love, friendship, and timeless commitment.
Rakhee Popat, Client Liaison Manager at Signature at Hendon Hall, said of the lovebirds:
“It’s always so beautiful to watch our residents speak so fondly of their partners. Whether couples come to join us at Hendon Hall, or find each other at the home, we love to celebrate and cherish the romantic relationships that are nurtured here.
“At Signature, we love to create an environment where residents can live as independently as possible and continue to maintain the same bonds and relationships as they did previously. So, it is important to us that Marianne and Peter have the opportunity to talk about such a significant part of their life and look back at their journey fondly.”
