“The boy next door” 100 miles away

Anchor residents Dave and Christine Johnson celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in the build up to Valentine’s Day - quite an achievement considering they were once not allowed to see each other because her family felt she was too young for a boyfriend. 

Dave and Christine are now residents of The Moorings in Stone, Staffordshire, but it started out as long distance love.  

Christine lived in Yorkshire and Dave in Newcastle-under-Lyme as teenagers, and they only met because Christine would come a few times a year to Staffordshire to visit her Gran – Dave’s next-door neighbour. 

Dave was truly “the boy next door 100 miles away” but undeterred they started courting. But Dave was 18 and Christine just sweet 16 so her family intervened. 

Christine kept hoping they would change their minds and the pair kept their respective postmen busy by exchanging many letters. To fill the time, Christine went to Jersey to work the summer season and Dave kept busy around the village seeing work friends. 

Love won out when they finally got to see each other again. Christine was allowed a surprise visit with her auntie, and they went to the local working men’s club to find Dave. She stayed for the weekend, and they had a wonderful time visiting local beauty spots like Dovedale in the Peak District.  

Soon after that, Dave relocated to Christine’s auntie’s place and Dave, now 76, and Christine, now 74, were eventually married at Newcastle under Lyme registry office in 1973. 

They went on to have two sons, Lee and Elton, and they have many happy memories of caravan holidays with the boys, particularly in Pembrokeshire and Cornwall. 

Dave and Christine had very different careers: He worked as a lorry driver before starting work in the local colliery. Christine on the other hand worked in retail before becoming a care assistant for a number of years.  

It was the COVID pandemic that led to their move to The Moorings in October 2020 in between lockdowns. 

Life had become very isolated in their bungalow and the restrictions meant they could go for long periods of time without seeing or speaking to anyone. 

When they first moved into The Moorings, it was very quiet and because of the guidelines at the time the lounge at the housing location was out of use. 

Thankfully their flat was canal side so they always had something to look at. Now it is a different story and there is always someone to talk to and always something going on.  

Moving allowed Dave and Christine to keep their independence. They like the mix of activities on offer from coffee mornings to gentle exercise, fish and chip suppers, cream teas in the summer enjoyed in the grounds and trips out on the local community bus.  

They also make the most of the onsite library as they are both keen readers and enjoy taking their latest read to enjoy in the beautiful gardens.  

When Dave and Christine celebrated their Golden Wedding in December 2023, they were overjoyed to receive a beautiful bunch of flowers from Anchor’s Chief Executive Sarah Jones. Christine said:

It was a lovely surprise – I didn’t realise Anchor did anything like that. They were beautiful blooms that lasted quite a while and it still makes me smile now.

Sarah Jones said:

Dave and Christine have a beautiful love story that is echoed by many other happy couples in Anchor locations and I was delighted to help them celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary. I am sure there will be many more happy anniversaries to come. 

They are both looking forward to sharing their first Valentine’s Day at The Moorings since celebrating being married for 50 years. 

Anchor’s The Moorings in Stone, Staffordshire, is a leasehold estate of 65 flats designed for independent living for the over 55s. To find out more about The Moorings, click here.