Mr and Mrs Short – A True Love Story
Love is in the air here at Beaumont Manor, and we've been getting to know everyone's stories about love. We have a married couple who will be celebrating 74 years of marriage in March this year. They are James and Jean Short and this is their love story.
Jean first met James in their hometown of Hackney back in 1947 at a dance when Jean was only 14. Jean was working as a shorthand typist at the time. James was 18 when they met and was an apprentice plumber during the war, having worked at the prison of war camp in Victoria Park. After courting for 3 years, they finally got married on the 25th of March 1950 at St Mary of Eton church in Hackney Wick. They were 17 and 21.
After Getting married they moved in with each other in a house on Horton Road in Hackney. They had his house for 43 years. During that time, they had their only child Janice in 1952. In 1955 they started their own business by becoming greengrocers and their work took them around the world getting different produce.
In 1968 they became grandparents for the first time with the birth of their first Granddaughter Jasmin followed by Jason in 1971. In 1975 they converted their home into flats to accommodate Janice’s growing family. In 1985 Janice and her family moved away from Horton Road. Jean and James finally left their home in Hackney in 1993 where they moved to Thorpe Road, Clacton.
All their travelling wasn’t all just for work. In the 70’s they visited the magical kingdom in America. They even got to see Frank Sinatra in concert at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. For Jean’s 50th birthday, they celebrated it in Menorca. Their love for travel did catch on in the family. Their granddaughter Jasmin lived in Corfu for a time and Jean and James would fly over to visit her.
Jean and James lived in Thorpe Road till 2019 and during that time they welcomed 5 great-grandchildren into their family. They are Brandon, Amy, Shannon, Katie and finally Jayden. Their Granddaughter Jasmin took over the bungalow in Thorpe Road in 2019 and it stayed within the family till it was sold in 2022.
From 2019 till not too long ago they moved to Frinton where they owned a duplex flat. This is where they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary during lockdown and welcomed their first great, great-granddaughter in 2023. Unfortunately, due to deteriorating health, they have now had to give up their home and move into a care home.
Since arriving at Beaumont Manor, they are finally able to get help with their individual needs whilst still being with each other. They get to see their family who are nearby and they join in with the activities. James still likes his dancing after all these years.
When Jean and James first came into Beaumont manor, I asked James what the tip is to a happy long marriage, he gave me a one-word answer. That answer was “perseverance”. They also told me that after all this time together, they wouldn’t be able to live without each other. That just shows true love can last a lifetime.
We look forward to helping Jean and James celebrate their 74th Wedding Anniversary this March. At Beaumont Manor, we are always happy to support couples within the home or even if partners don't live in the home, we can support them to ensure they have a special day celebrating. Contact us to see how we can support your loved ones.
