Aisle be Yours…
“The Secret of a happy marriage- Respect and Genuine Love”
Having launched a search to find the longest married couple
in the local area, Asda Coleraine was delighted to welcome Robert and
Margaret, known as Ivy, Kirkpatrick into the store to tell their story.
As
regular customers in Asda Coleraine, every Tuesday since it opened in 2005,
Robert and Ivy are well known to the store’s colleagues who delighted in
celebrating their love with gifts including flowers, champagne and a shopping
voucher.
Married for 62 years, and having met several years before
that, Robert and Ivy have lived in the centre of Coleraine since the 1960s. However,
their love story began in London, when Robert spotted Ivy working in the
Maypole Grocery Store.
“My brother also worked in the store,” said Robert, “so I
asked him to find out if she liked the look of me and if she was interested in
a date. Luckily she was, and we had our first date at the local picture house.”
The romance went on to blossom from that moment and today
the diamond couple have nine children, 25 grandchildren and 18
great-grandchildren. Robert says, “We
have a great system – Ivy does all the birthday cards and presents, and I look
after Christmas!”
The couple describe their greatest adventure as an exciting
trip to California around 15 years ago. Staying with friends they took in the
sights around Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs describing it as “a
wonderful trip they’ll never forget.”
The couple were invited into Asda Coleraine on Valentine’s
Day to receive their gifts from general store manager Roy Warke and community
life champion Sheila Palmer. On receiving the news from Asda that they had been
recognised as Coleraine’s longest married couple, Robert said he was “delighted
and it was a lovely surprise.”
Roy Warke said, “It’s been wonderful to celebrate
Valentine’s Day with Robert and Ivy as their love truly has stood the test of
time. As regular customers to the store we’re all inspired by their story, and
it’s particularly fantastic, and fitting, to hear that they met in a grocery
store! We wish the couple many more happy years together.”
Finally, on the secret of such a long and happy marriage,
Robert had a simple message saying, “It’s all based around respect. Respect and
genuine love.”
