Valentine's Day delight for Harrogate care home labelled the 'most romantic in UK' after new relationships blossom

The Manor House care home in Harrogate incredibly boasts nine couples who will be celebrating the special day, today

That includes lifelong couples who moved into the care home on the Duchy estate together, to people who have formed new relationships whilst living there – including two residents who have just got engaged.

Manager Stephanie Foulds said: "We have nine happy couples and these lovely people can live and be together whatever their circumstances may be.

"There are lifelong couples who enter our care home together but there are also people who come in alone who form new friendships and relationships."

"It's an honour to have been regarded as the most romantic care home in the country.

"Our aim is to live like one big family and provide an environment where love, friendship and kindness can blossom."

Residents Geoff Fawcett (90) and Kathleen Wainwright (85) have only been together since last summer and got engaged in November 2023.

Before they met, Geoff worked in the civil service in Hong Kong for 30 years and Kathleen taught music at infant schools in the Harrogate area.

They first met when The Manor House was invited to a gala and party last year at Brackenfield School in celebration of the Coronation of King Charles and Camilla.

Geoff, it seems, had already expressed an interest in Kathleen and said she looked like a real lady and had stolen his heart.

The couple have been inseparable since that day and happy memories already include Geoff introducing Kathleen to Chinese food, attending a classical music concert and discovering similar musical tastes, singing together in Anchor’s The Manor House’s choir, outings at Harrogate’s panto and on a canal boat in Skipton where they ate fish and chips.

Owned by Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life, The Manor House is a 87-bed care home with private landscaped gardens.

For more information visit: https://www.anchor.org.uk/