South Somerset Homes couple celebrate 70th wedding anniversary
24 November 2004

Pictured from left to right are Ron and Muriel Symes and MP David Laws.

Ron and Muriel Symes who are residents at the South Somerset Homes owned Extra Care Scheme at St Gildas in Chard celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary on the 17 November.

Ron who is 93 years of age and Muriel who is 91 years of age met in Crewkerne where they both lived and worked in 1933. Ron who was 22 years old at the time worked as a van driver in Crewkerne and Muriel who was 20 years old, worked as a shop assistant in Crewkerne.

On the evening of the 17 November 1933 when Ron had finished work and was talking to a couple of his friends, Muriel passed him by across the road. Ron offered to walk Muriel home and she agreed.

Ron says he always thought he would be a bachelor as he was not interested in courting at all, but within two weeks they starting courting and have been inseparable ever since. Ron said he couldn't believe she lived in the same town and he hadn't seen her before. “There was a definite spark at the beginning.”

Ron asked Muriel to marry him on the 17 November 1934 and they married at the Independent Chapel in Winsham. This was a year to the day that they had met.

When asked what they felt was the secret to staying together for more than 70 years , Muriel said, “The recipe for our happiness is that at the end of each day we have always gone to bed knowing that we are both okay; we have never had a crossed word in the 71 years of our life together.”

On the 13 December they will have lived at St Gildas Extra Care Sheltered Scheme for 20 years making them the longest residing residents of the scheme.