It’s never too late to find love...Ted, 90, weds his Joan, 81
BRITAIN’S oldest newlyweds tied the knot yesterday – proving you are never too old to find love.
Widow Joan Grant and Ted Wright were resigned to spending the rest of their lives alone until they met on holiday in Blackpool.
He might not have been able to get down on one knee but widower Ted, 90, plucked up the courage to ask Joan, 81, for her hand in marriage after more than a decade of dating.
Humour
And the couple showed their sense of humour by walking down the register office aisle to Frank Sinatra’s Second Time Around.
Ted and Joan tied the knot in a modest civil ceremony in front of 20 guests with the bride given away by her son Michael. Joan said: “We had our first dance to Second Time Around by Frank Sinatra – the same song we walked down the aisle to.
“We were engaged for more or less 10 years but in September we were visiting Ted’s niece and he said, ‘Joan and I are going to get married.’ It was a lovely surprise for me.” Joan wore a dark purple lace dress and a black jacket paired with a white fascinator with feathers. Ted donned a dark blue suit with a white shirt and tie matching his wife’s outfit.
Great-grandfather-of-two Ted said: “Neither of us ever thought we would be married again. My wife died 17 years ago and Joan’s husband died aged 63.
“We both had church weddings the first time but thought we’d make this one a quiet one. We really love each other and we are so happy.”
The couple are both Londoners who moved to Swindon, Wilts, for their jobs with WHSmith.
Neither office worker Joan nor warehouse manager Ted dared to hope of finding love again until they met 15 years ago on a holiday for ex-employees on the Golden Mile. Most of their long courtship was done over the phone.
Ted said: “My first impression was she was lovely. Joan says I married her to make an honest woman of her. We’ve lived together in a bungalow since 2004.”