Carnival celebrations at a Hungarian retirement home: János Bődey’s best photograph

‘I asked them the secret to a happy life. “Good genes,” replied Magdolna, who was 87. “Avoid borrowing money,” added Irén, 86’

When I saw these two elderly ladies dressed as bride and groom in a retirement home in Páty, near Budapest, my first thought was to wonder why they had chosen those particular costumes. I took their picture in the home’s lounge and afterwards we had a long conversation. I asked them about their lives, what they believed was the secret to a long life, and how to preserve a love of life in old age. They both emphasised a long and happy marriage. Magdolna, 87, on the left, lived with her husband for more than 50 years, and 86-year-old Irén for 62, until their spouses died.

In Hungary, the average pension is the equivalent of about £500 a month. It takes the talents of a magician for a pensioner to stretch that beyond basic needs and make any room for leisure, culture or travel. The health of Hungarian pensioners also falls short of what is typical in the west. And it’s really hard to get into a retirement home in Hungary. You have to wait for years for a good place.