Loved-up Wetherby couple who celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary reach combined age of 200

Rita Bradbury, from Wetherby, has celebrated turning 100 in the company of her husband who himself reached the landmark last year. 

Rita marked her birthday on Friday 31 May with a party held for her at Wetherby Manor care home in Wetherby where she and her husband Arnold have lived since 2015.

Rita was born in Durham but moved to Yorkshire with her parents just before the start of the Second World War. During the War, she served in the Wrens and was stationed in Grimsby where she worked with colleagues who spotted German U-boats.

She also trained in Windsor where she saw princesses Elizabeth and Margaret performing in a pantomime well before the late queen’s coronation – she has the programme to prove it.

Rita met her husband Arnold in Leeds and they married at St. Johns Church, Moortown in 1948. The couple celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary at Anchor’s Wetherby Manor care home in March last year.

Rita and Arnold brought their first home in Moortown before moving to Alwoodley where they had two boys, Michael and Peter, both of whom attended their mother’s 100th birthday celebrations.

Arnold was the principal guest at the party having himself turned 100 in October last year.

Rita said:

I deserve a medal for putting up with Arnold but wouldn’t change him for the world! We are still very much in love.

Arnold said:

It was love at first sight, we just knew we would spend the rest of our lives together.

We are very content here at Wetherby Manor and the care team is marvellous, we are looked after very well.

Caroline Byron, Manager of Anchor’s Wetherby Manor care home, said:

Arnold has a dry sense of humour and loves to talk about the past. Rita is quieter and loves to be well presented. She is known as the queen to some of the care team.

The couple enjoy many of the activities we put on for residents at Anchor’s Wetherby Manor care home. Their favourite activities are exercise classes and entertainment events.

For further information on Wetherby Manor care home, click here.