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To mark Valentine's Day 2024 (14th February), George (88) and Mary (87), residents at Tickford Abbey Care Home in Newport Pagnell, have shared the dos and don’ts of a long-lasting relationship to reveal the secrets to finding your soulmate for younger generations.

Most of us look for a partner to share life's adventures with, and who better to get the ultimate advice when finding a long-lasting love than older generations?

With 70 years of marriage, George and Mary share their relationship do’s and don’ts for younger generations:

‘Have a bit of sugar now and again to keep the flame alive’
‘Share adventures’
‘Always say sorry - even if it’s a week later’
‘Make the man think he is the boss’
‘Don’t let your eyes wander’
‘Don’t dampen each others dreams’
‘Don’t stop saying I love you’

Mary (87) and George (88) share their secrets to finding love this Valentine's Day

George and Mary are preparing to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. The couple met as teenagers at a village hall dance - it was "love at first sight", and the pair have "never looked back" since.

George and Mary share the secret to a long-lasting relationship is respecting each other. They "have always stuck by each other during hardship - struggling together when we were younger made us a team."

The couple also believe it's essential to keep the spark from the very beginning of your relationship alive, sharing, "the greatest thing about our marriage is that we have always been wild!"

George and Mary moved into Tickford Abbey Care Home in 2021 and enjoy spending their days eating breakfast together, having a walk around the grounds, or just sitting and reading books. The couple also enjoy going out for meals with their family as they live locally.

There are lots of lessons in love we can learn from older generations, shares Chris Donnelly, Co-Founder at Lottie:

"It's amazing to hear the stories of love in our care homes and the fond memories sparked by reminiscing for each resident. What's more, there are so many lessons we can all learn from older generations - no matter your age!

Love is something many of us search for during our lifetime, and it's often a popular topic around Valentine's Day. Since the start of February, we have seen a surge in people of all ages looking for tips for finding their soulmate, with online searches for 'help me find love' increasing by 100% and 'dating and relationship advice' growing by 50%*.

That's why we've spoken to older generations; with over 50 years of marriage, they are the true relationship experts and know the secret to a long-lasting relationship. From respecting each other, keeping the romance alive, and not putting too much pressure on yourself to find a partner, our residents have shared many pearls of wisdom in love and romance this Valentine's Day."

‘Don’t Let Your Eyes Wander!’: Meet the local 80-year-old Relationship Experts this Valentine's Day