Golden wedding celebration for hospital volunteers

Two hospital volunteers who spend their time supporting patients at Bradford Royal Infirmary have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.

Lillian and Wayne Deakin, from Keighley, marked 50 years of marriage on 18 September.

The couple both volunteer with the Spiritual, Pastoral and Religious Care (SPaRC) team at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI), where staff helped them celebrate passing the milestone.

Ex-council worker Wayne, 76, who began volunteering in 2019, supports patients on Ward 4 and Ward 31 while Lillian, 71, a former nurse, who started volunteering after retiring from work on the main reception desk at St Luke's Hospital, covers Wards 1 and 22.

The couple were in BRI to share their goods news, but not before Lillian had done her usual weekly round on Ward 22.

Health care assistant Mary Mahon said: "[The patients] love her.

"Some of them might be just sat there and feeling a bit low and she'll just come and chat with them.

"Afterwards there is a smile on their face. It's lovely, really."

The couple first met as teenagers at Lillian's local church.

Wayne said: "'How we met?' I went to a young people's meeting at a Baptist church in Haworth.

"I went into the room and saw this beautiful young woman at the other side of the room. I couldn't get my eyes off her and my legs starting shaking."

He went home and prayed they would meet again.

Two weeks later his prayers were answered when the pair both found themselves on a Baptist young people's camp in Scarborough

He said: "During the week-long camp we ended up in the same team and then we were even paired together.

"We'd stopped two young girls on the seafront at Scarborough and said to them 'can we ask you questions about your faith?'

"They said 'can we ask you a question first?' I said yes. 'Are you two man and wife?'

"We'd only been together 10 minutes. Well that was it and we've been together ever since."

After five years courting and then engagement, Lillian and Wayne tied-the-knot at the United Reformed Congregation, in Keighley, and settled down in Ingrow.

Although they had no children of their own, through religious connections in Zimbabwe they were 'adopted' by a number of children, including two who took their names.

After retiring from Bradford Council Wayne began volunteering with the SPaRC team which provides non-judgmental, multi-faith and humanist support to patients, families, and staff with Lillian following later.

To celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary they enjoyed their favourite meal of ham, eggs and chips at a pub in Riddlesden.

Lillian said: "Shortly after we first met we started to go into a posh-ish restaurant once a month.

"It was an old-style place with black pinnies for the waitresses. And we always had ham, eggs and chips."

As to the secret to long and happy marriage, Lillian said: "I think it's your faith, trusting each other and laughter. We're always teasing."

Wayne added: "Faith, love, and being as daft as a brush. Just enjoying each other's company.

"And we don't like being apart. We always like to be together."

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