Destination: happiness – train makes special stop for Belong Warrington couple

Destination: happiness – train makes special stop for Belong Warrington couple

Love is most definitely in the air in Warrington as local couple, Vera and Frank Leyland, have been enjoying a special date on a reminiscence train after it recently rolled into their Latchford home, Belong care village.

Once Frank had collected his date, a bouquet of flowers in hand, he and Vera prepared for boarding, assisted by dedicated support workers who had arranged the occasion. The loved-up pair were then wined and dined before being left to savour some quality time together, making the most of their cosy rendez-vous by taking a trip down memory lane.

Louise Kelly, experience coordinator at Belong Warrington, provides more details: “We wanted to give our Vera and Frank a romantic treat, so we set up the train experience for them. Their relationship is very special and is a beautiful reminder to us all that love knows no bounds.”

After marrying at St Thomas Church, St Helens, back in 1955, Vera and Frank lived in the town when it was still part of Lancashire, until 1967 when they moved five miles to nearby Burtonwood.

With a lifetime of happy moments in the family photo album, in 1990, they made a bigger move, travelling over 8,000 miles to the Falkland Islands, to join daughter Lynn and family, making the most of the time watching their grandchildren grow up.

After returning to the UK in 2014, the happy couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, receiving a card from Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, offering her congratulations for the diamond occasion. Fast forward to 2023, the pair chose Belong Warrington as their new home where their bond continues to be inseparable.

Daughter Lynn said: “My happiest memory of Mum and Dad is seeing them with their grandchildren; they really dote on Samantha and Michael, and it’s very special to see them together. Equally, partying the night away for their diamond wedding anniversary will always stay with me – they always love singing and dancing together!”