A couple who have been married for more than six decades have been reunited after being separated for 100 days due to illness and constraints.

George and Joyce Bell, both octogenarians, were admitted to the hospital separately owing to illness.

They were eventually released and transferred into rooms at the Tollesby Hall Care Home in Middlesbrough to rehabilitate.

Joyce, who had healed from a fractured hip, was escorted downstairs to be reunited with her husband in a tearful moment videotaped last week.

Joyce had already told George that if he were to be admitted to a nursing home, she would not accompany him.

But she was overjoyed when she was transferred from James Cook University Hospital to Tollesby Hall Care Home and assured her husband would be joining her soon.

Joyce informed staff that she couldn’t sleep because she was so excited to see George, and that she felt ‘like a little girl again’.

Joyce, who is now 87, and George, who is 89, The pair grew up in Middlesbrough and shared a house on the same street, next door but one.

George was continually fooling people, but he went out of his way to help everybody he could.

They married 66 years ago at St Cuthbert’s Church on Newport Road when Joyce was 21 and George was 23.

When asked what the secret to a long marriage was, Joyce responded, ‘Let them have their own way and put your foot down, you have to with George.’

George was an electrician, an armature winder, which he liked, and he made life-size models of engines as a pastime after his National Service at the start of their marriage.

Joyce worked as a mobile window dresser and would go around all the big towns in the area to create the displays.

When she turned 65, she didn’t want to retire because she loved it so much.

For their Ruby wedding anniversary, George bought Joyce a beautiful ring that she will always treasure.

Before they were admitted to James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, in June, they lived in a bungalow in Marton.

‘I made him make me a promise,’ Joyce said. ‘I told him if he ends up going into a home I’m not going into one.’
But now they are in the nursing home to recuperate, the pair are both pleased with how well they are being looked after.

Joyce is recovering well from her broken hip, and the staff takes her downstairs to visit George every day.

Rachel White, activities at Tollesby Hall Care Home, said: ‘With the support from the team here at Tollesby we were able to reunite George and his wife again.