171 years young! It’s the country’s oldest newlyweds

A COUPLE with a combined age of 171 are about to become Britain’s oldest newlyweds, insisting: “It’s never too late for love.”

Bride-to-be Joan Grant, 81, will exchange vows with Ted Wright, 90, next month in a register office with 20 guests looking on.

Joan, a widow, has not yet decided what she will wear for the big day, but has ruled out a white dress, joking: “It’s not a shotgun wedding.”

Afterwards they plan to head off on a “funnymoon”, along with 50 of their friends and family.

The couple met 15 years ago when they went on holiday as part of a retirement group for former staff of WH Smith.

Joan retired from the company in 1996 and Ted, a widower, worked in a warehouse for the high street giant.

Joan said: “The main reason we wanted to get married was that Ted had a stroke two years ago.

“I have looked after him so well that he thinks I deserve to marry him.

“I didn’t think I would get married again but we got on so well together. We accept what each other does. We don’t give up and we enjoy our life.

“When we first met we didn’t think it would be a relationship and then Ted started to call me and we had our courtship over the phone. We used to talk for hours and really enjoyed it. I eventually invited him round for New Year’s lunch and the rest is history. It’s never too late for love.”

The couple enjoy racing each other on their mobility scooters and used to go line dancing until Joan had a hip replacement.

Ted said: “We went to Germany one year for a holiday.

“There was some musicians playing so we started dancing.

“People thought we were part of the show and started putting money down which we didn’t expect at all.”

The couple will tie the knot on January 19 in Swindon, Wiltshire, where they live.

Their their first dance will be to the Frank Sinatra song The Second Time Around.

The following day they will set off with friends and family to Hayling Island, near Portsmouth.

Joan said: “We’d been talking about getting married for a while. I kept asking him when it was going to happen. We had gone to Surrey to see relatives and all of a sudden Ted said we were going to get married.

“They were absolutely over the moon. Everyone is so pleased for us.”