A couple who have been married for nearly 70 years have been reunited at a care home in Powys and are starting the next chapter of their lives together.
Tom and Sylvia Clayton had been separated when Tom was admitted to hospital in August 2021 due to health issues. When he was finally discharged, a home was found to accommodate both him and his wife - Llys Hafren care home in Welshpool.
The home put on a romantic dinner for the childhood sweethearts who lived in Telford in the West Midlands and met on a school bus trip to Rhyl when they were 15. Tom had noticed Sylvia when she got on the bus and made sure he got a seat next to his future wife on the way back home - it was love at first sight.
After leaving school, Sylvia worked in the Co-op for some years, and Tom worked for a building company, eventually becoming his own boss. In later life, Sylvia took up a role in the local council office in the rent department.
They married in 1954 when they were 21 and 23, and started married life living with Sylvia’s parents so they could save money. They purchased a piece of land in 1955 for £100 having been given £50 from Sylvia’s parents, and Tom built their first home on it. They went on to have a son, Stephen, and two grandchildren.
Sylvia will be celebrating her 90th birthday in June and Tom will be turning 92 in August.
Sylvia said: “We have both had such a wonderful life together and those few months apart were extremely difficult for both of us. We have so many wonderful memories together, in particular all of the amazing places we have visited in the world. We are so happy to be back together and have settled in well here at Llys Hafren.”
Service manager of the home, operated by Shaw healthcare on behalf of Powys County Council, Bea Wicksted, said: “We were all very emotional setting up the room ready for them as we knew how much it meant to them to be back together. There wasn’t a dry eye in the home.”
Llys Hafren offers residential care for up to 40 residents including those living with dementia.
