Derbyshire care home workers create a Valentine's Day full of love for diamond wedding anniversary couple

Mick and Janette Jewkes have received gifts from workers at the Ashfields care home in Heanor and enjoyed a celebratory lunch of roast pork and cheese and egg salad with one of their daughters and a couple of their friends.

Becky Stapleton is manager of the home's Forget Me Not suite which is a community that cares for people living with dementia. She said: “I love days like this - making memories for people is a highlight of my job and a privilege. I've worked in care for 20 years and I’ve not seen many diamond wedding anniversaries – it's an honour to be part of it. It’s a wonderful day that’s full of love.”

Mick, 78, has lived on the Forget Me Not suite since 2019 and is visited three times a week by Janette who lives in Smalley.

Their daughter Karen and friends Maureen and Paul Cyster joined them for their diamond anniversary lunch. Becky said: “Mick has been able to give Janette a card that says to my wife on our anniversary and he gave her a chocolate love heart and a Valentine’s card as well. They’ve got their card from the King and Janette has been showing it to everybody.

"We bought them flowers and the home manager, Josie Greveson, bought them both chocolates. To celebrate, we’ve decorated an area within the home with 60th anniversary banners. The staff have all got their love heart t-shirts on and I’ve got a blouse with red hearts on.”

MIck and Janette have two daughters, a son, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Becky said: “They are a lovely couple with a lovely family.”

Janette was just 14 when she met first Mick, who is two years her senior, in the Lunch Box transport cafe in Lower Kilburn where they were with friends. Mick, who was from Belper, and Janette, from Kilburn were married at Belper Register Office on February 14, 1964, just a few days after Janette’s 16th birthday.During his working life Mick had various jobs including coal merchant and a sales rep for a tyre company. Janette worked as a packer at the Aristoc hosiery factory, in shops and at a newsagent.

The couple have a mutual love of music and enjoy listening to the songs of Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard and Billy Fury.