‘We laugh and try to be kind to one another’
This is a Valentine’s Day like no other. These couples, friends and neighbours in Surrey, have collectively been married 231 years with 11 children, 26 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. They tell JAYMI MCCANN the ways they have all made their marriage last the test of time...
MICHAEL and Penny were school sweethearts and have been married for 63 years.they first met aged 13 but it wasn’t until a few years later when they were at a dance that Michael asked Penny on to the floor.
Michael, 81, said: “Penny is my first and only love.you have to have patience and a sense of humour to make a relationship work.you have to be kind to one another. It is trust, humour and never going to bed in a fight.we have never done that in our lives. No matter how happy you are, everyone has arguments at times.
“You make it up and say sorry to each other and continue.when you’ve been together 60-odd years you must learn to say sorry. Me in particular, because I’m a grumpy old so and so sometimes.”
They have four children, seven grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren and are being very careful during the Covid crisis.they say the hardest thing has been not seeing their great-grandchildren, but they know it is important for family members not to get too close.
They say, however, that being the best of friends is key to a lasting relationship. Penny said: “The pandemic hasn’t really affected our relationship.we still laugh and try to be kind to one another. In fact in a way it has made things better as we see each other even more.”
Mike agrees, adding: “We have been terribly lucky in our lives. Some people are on their own or have lost a loved one due to Covid. It must be terrible.at least we have each other.”
‘It has been hard... humour helps us cope’
RICHARD and Barbara bonded over their familys’ shared love of motorsport.
Richard was at school with Barbara’s brother and in 1959 found himself sitting next to his future wife at Goodwood – and the rest is history.
Richard, now 77, chuckled: “It is probably an unusual way to meet.that was the start of me annoying her and it has continued ever since.
“Probably the best thing she has is her sense of humour, besides being a beautiful person of course.”
The pair have been married for 56 years and have three children and eight grandchildren, as well as running a successful travel business together for nearly 40 years.
Richard added: “Lockdown has been hard – we are very sociable people. Barbara is a social butterfly, she is always involved in the community.
“But a sense of humour helps you get through, at least it certainly does with us.”
SECURITY costs for the HS2 rail project have soared by £49million due to a spate of protests.
The company responsible for the controversial multi-billion pound high-speed rail link says it has been targeted by “political activists” who are putting lives in danger.
The project has sparked opposition from environmentalists who have warned of threats to ancient woodland and high carbon emissions. Other opponents have voiced concern over spiralling costs.
It was initially predicted to cost £37.5billion but last year a leaked government review suggested the figure could reach £106billion.
A company spokeswoman said: “HS2 has been repeatedly and excessively targeted by political activists who have illegally trespassed on our sites, endangering themselves, our workers and the general public.
“They have subjected our hard-working employees to violent behaviour, placing unnecessary strain on the emergency services during the pandemic.” Despite the strong opposition, the project passed a major milestone last week when plans for “phase 2a” – from the
West Midlands to Crewe – were granted Royal Assent.
The rail link will connect London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
In recent weeks protesters have camped out at Euston Square Gardens, where they dug a series of tunnels and locked themselves underground in an attempt to delay construction work. Dame Cheryl Gillan, the Conservative MP for Chesham and Amersham and a leading critic of HS2, said the security costs will have already surpassed the £49million figure.
She added: “These figures cover the period until the end of
December 2020 but the security operation has continued through January and the beginning of this month. It is an ongoing, open-ended cost.”
‘It is an openended cost ’