Speaking Your Mind: The Secret to a Lasting Marriage for Yeovil Couple

The activities team at Chestnut Lodge have enabled resident Barry Blackmore and his wife Linda to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary with a visit to their favourite seaside spot, West Bay in Dorset.

The couple met on a dance floor in London more than 45 years ago, and they're still going strong, with a no-nonsense attitude setting the tone from the start.

“I’m not one to act like a fool. If I don’t like something, I’ll say so,” Linda Blackmore, now aged 76, told her date that evening, a man she would go on and marry.

“We went to this dance and spent the evening trotting around and thoroughly enjoyed it. He then invited me back to his place for a coffee.

“His parents were supposed to be out at a dinner dance, but when we got there, they were home, making things a bit awkward.

“Luckily, they liked me, and I got summoned the next day to go back and have lunch. They were both very nice and we all got on and went from there.”

Former legal secretary Linda married sheet metal worker Barry in Sudbury, London, with four bridesmaids in 1979, moving to Yeovil for work in 1981.

The couple continued dancing – learning the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug – attended airshows and motor races and made regular trips to the United States and Europe.

Through it all, Linda says the key to their lasting relationship has always been open communication.

“We’ve always made a point of talking to each other, sharing how we feel and working things through together,” she said.

Due to severe mobility issues, Barry has been a resident at Chestnut Lodge care home in Yeovil since 2024, with Linda living nearby and visiting regularly.

Linda said: “We had a really nice time at West Bay on our anniversary. I brought along a packed lunch, and Barry was in his element watching the fishermen bringing in their lobster pots.

“It was a glorious day, the sun was shining, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves going back to a place that is part of our shared history.”

She says Barry enjoys living at Chestnut Lodge, and has a ‘good laugh and a joke’ with the team at the home.

“It’s a real home from home. The food is excellent; I really can’t fault it. We enjoy playing bingo and the many other activities they lay on and entertainers they bring in.”

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