Lockdown: 'Lonely' husband unable to visit wife moves into care home to be with her

A couple who have been married for 60 years have been reunited after husband Mike Nightingale moved into his wife Sue’s care home, as lockdown restrictions meant he was unable to see her leaving him “incredibly upset and lonely”.

Sue Nightingale moved into Windsor Court care home in Wetherby just before the beginning of the pandemic and due to lockdown restrictions on visitors to care homes, the couple, who during their lives together had only spent a few nights apart, have been separated for months.

They missed each other so much that Mike decided to move into the care home to be with Sue.

Mike Nightingale said: “After spending over 60 years with the love of my life by my side, being unable to see her made me incredibly upset and lonely. I am so glad I have been able to move into Windsor Court and continue to live my life with my beautiful wife.”

Sue added: “I am so pleased that Mike and I are reunited, I love and missed him dearly and felt so giddy to see him on the day he moved in. The staff here are brilliant, not to mention incredibly thoughtful, so I know we will live very happily here.” The couple, who celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary last year, confessed that since their marriage began, they have never spent more than a few nights apart.

The couple share a keen interest in sport and were set up on a blind date by Sue’s mother after she met Mike at the local tennis club. Sue said: "It was like the age old saying ‘mother always knows best’ and she did!" Mike and Sue enjoyed regular dates to the local dance halls which led to them both becoming keen ballroom dancers.

It was not long until Mike proposed, and they tied the knot in 1959 at the Gaventry church with all their friends and family. Sue said: "My wedding day was beautiful and one of my fondest memories that I will forever treasure." For their honeymoon, Mike surprised his bride with a trip to London with tickets to Sue’s favourite show, My Fair Lady. Mike said: "I knew tickets to My Fair Lady would be like handing Sue a winning lottery ticket, she could watch that show over and over again and never be bored!"

The pair settled in Yorkshire where they raised their two boys and have since welcomed five grandchildren and many more great grandchildren to their family.

The couple’s son, Duncan Nightingale, said: "After months apart, I am so pleased to see my parents together again. The staff at the home have been brilliant and it was such a special moment to be there as they were reunited in the homes’ beautiful garden - I know they are in great hands at Windsor Court."

Care home manager, Paula Mountjoy, revealed that there wasn’t “a dry eye in the house” when the couple reunited in the care home, saying: “We are so pleased to be able to reunite this fabulous couple. After hearing all the wonderful stories about their marriage, it was no wonder they couldn’t bear to be without each other."

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