“Be truthful and kind to each other” is just one of the pieces of advice given by a couple at a care home in Edgbaston as they enjoyed their 63rd Valentine’s Day together.
Love was in the air when the team at Care UK’s Metchley Manor, on Church Road, arranged a special evening for Mageed and Angela Kiwan. Mageed, 91, and Angela, 85, dressed to the nines to a romantic meal prepared by the home’s Head Chef, as they reminisced about their early days as a couple.
The pair met while studying at the University of Leeds in 1963. Mageed was completing a PhD in chemistry at the time, while Angela was an undergraduate student undertaking a degree in Arabic and Semitic languages.
Angela was instantly attracted to Mageed’s kindness and sense of humour, while Mageed was charmed by his soon-to-be-wife’s personality. From this point on, they became inseparable and tied the knot in 1965.
Together, they travelled the world and lived across four continents, including Egypt, where Mageed was born, the United States, Kuwait, the UAE, before settling in England in academic professions: Angela as a language lecturer and Mageed as a Professor of Chemistry. Together, they share three daughters and seven grandchildren.
When asked about their most romantic memory, both recall a memorable cruise they went on together, sailing from London to Port Aid, in Egypt. During the trip, they also stopped in Gibraltar, Genoa, Naples and Greece.
The couple agreed that to keep a marriage successful, it’s important to talk “be truthful and kind to each other” and “treat people the way you would want to be treated”. Kim-Marie Newton, Home Manager at Metchley Manor, said: “Mageed and Angela are such a lovely couple and a real joy to have here at Metchley Manor.
“They’ve lived an exceptional life together, and we never tire to hear all about the adventures they went on together. We’ve really enjoyed organising a special Valentine’s Day meal for them.
“Their story is incredibly inspiring, and we hope their advice will resonate with our community too. It was a day full of love, laughter and happy memories – we’re so lucky to have been a part of it.”
Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Metchley Manor incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care.
The building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.