Couple celebrate 51st wedding anniversary at Sanctuary Care home

After a disastrous first impression – when Reg Churms caused his wife-to-be’s car to catch fire – a devoted Yarnton couple will celebrate their 51st wedding anniversary this week.

When Reg Churms, who lives at Sanctuary Care Ltd Yarnton residential and nursing home met Zoe, he got off to a bad start.

Zoe, who had just had her hair cut short and was wearing a trench coat, had taken her Austin Ruby to a garage for a parking light repair. Reg looked up and said “can I help you sir” before realising his mistake.

Later that day he took Zoe to the cinema - when they got out the car was in flames after the parking light had earthed, setting the soft top alight! He repaired the car, the doors of which were already held shut with elastic and safety pins, with black tape.

The couple never looked back and on Sunday (8 July) they will celebrate 51 years of marriage with Sunday lunch at the home, which provides care for the elderly, including specialist nursing, dementia care and residential care.

When asked the secret to a successful marriage Zoe, aged 81, joked: “A man only has to remember three little words – I was wrong!”

Reg, who is 84 and was the first resident to move into the home last year, said: “She has been a kind and wonderful wife and mother – and I was always fed on time!”

The couple have son Mark, who also lives in Yarnton. They moved to Milton Common and then Headington, before coming to Yarnton in 1985 where Zoe still lives, frequently visiting the home to see her husband.

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