Beech Court housing residents celebrate 70 years of marriage

A Leicester couple have celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary over the weekend. 

Kenneth, 92, and Bernice Hesmondhalgh, 90, residents at Anchor Hanover’s Beech Court retirement housing scheme on Aylestone Lane, were presented with flowers, gifts and cards from the manager and friends at the scheme for their 70th anniversary. 

Their romance started when Ken and Bernice were teenagers whilst both were visiting a war museum at Mountsorrel. Shortly after, Ken went into the Airforce and the couple stayed in touch through letters. They married in 1951 when Ken was 22 and Bernice was 20.

The couple celebrated their anniversary on Wednesday, 19th May. When asked their secret to a long, happy marriage they said:

Always be considerate of each other and have give and take.

Both from Wigston, Ken left school at 14 and became a shoe designer for a local company and Bernice worked in an office doing clerical work. They have four children, eight grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren. 

They said:

Our 70 years together have been the best ever.

To celebrate, Ken and Bernice spent their anniversary amongst family with a special meal at their daughter’s house and were reunited with their son whom they hadn’t seen since before the pandemic.  

Trish Simms, Scheme Manager at Anchor Hanover’s Beech Court, said:

Ken and Bernice are such a lovely couple and are always together. They are well known and greatly loved within the community.

For more information on Anchor Hanover’s Beech Court retirement housing scheme, please head to our dedicated webpage.