Thirty-five years of togetherness

WE were close to forty when we got together, but the wait was evidently worth it because my dear wife and I today celebrate 35 years of marriage. As non-believers, it would be wrong to say it was a match made in Heaven, but we know for sure it wasn’t made in Hell.

With eight children and 15 grandkids between us, a life spent in two of the greatest places on earth - Cornwall and the Bahamas - a happy domestic round permeated by the aroma of baking bread and apple pies, we hit our mid-70s confident in the knowledge that fate has been good to us and ours.

Never ones to tempt providence, we now look forward to the next 35 years with faculties intact (for now, anyway), the creative spirit still alive and kicking, the travel bug undimmed, and the love of family the foundation of our lives.

Personal matters are rarely if ever mentioned on this site, but every rule has its exceptions, and this is one of them. Happy anniversary to my wonder woman, whose gentle wisdom has kept me on track for the best part of four decades.