Love was in the air on Valentine’s Day at Lakeview Grange care home in Chichester, as residents, volunteers and special guests gathered for a special romantic lunch with their partners, celebrating an impressive 344 years of marriage between them.

The luxury care home transformed its café area into a “Vintage Dates” restaurant, creating their own take on the popular TV show First Dates. The care home’s chefs pulled out all the stops to mark the occasion for the nine couples. Diners selected from a carefully planned three course menu, which included chicken liver pâté with redcurrant jelly and melba toast, braised feather blade steak with grand-mère creamed potatoes (with baby onions, smoked bacon and button mushrooms), and nougat glacé served in a brandy snap basket with raspberry coulis.

Among those attending was Penny Smith, who joined her husband Roger, a resident at Lakeview Grange. She said,  “The event was lovely and the food was delicious. I always describe Lakeview Grange as being like a five-star hotel but with feeling –  and that really came across today. Thank you for arranging this and for looking after us so well.”

The couples were also invited to share their secrets to a long and happy marriage.

Care home residents, Don Stoner, age 93 and his wife, Eileene, age 91, have been married for 71 years. They said, “Love and respect for each other, supporting one another in all that they do and giving each other their own space.”

Richard Plowman, ex-Mayor of Chichester and his wife, Lynne, were invited to the event as special guests, having been married for 56 years, after getting engaged on Valentine’s Day 57 years ago. In their view,  “Trust, kindness and supporting each other is the secret to a happy marriage,  even if sometimes you don’t agree.  And giving each other their own space is important, too.”

According to two of the residents who attended the event with their wives, shared interests are important. Both couples said that a love of sport had cemented their relationships.

Volunteer Clive Lucas attended the lunch with his partner, Mary Oliver, Wellbeing and Lifestyle Co-ordinator at Lakeview Grange. He summed up the day’s sentiment about the secret to successful relationships by saying, “Deep friendship, the joy of sharing things, having a great sense of humour, and, of course, loving each other.”