Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Paula Cocozza

A new start after 60: I built a new life 10,000 miles from my husband – and we’re still happily married

Margaret Murphy photographed at home in London, April 2025
Margaret Murphy: ‘I know in my heart that what I’ve done has been rewarding.’ Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

Margaret Murphy had a lovely house in Brisbane, Australia, and four children when she noticed “a cumulative feeling” that she wanted a different sort of life from that of her husband, Peter. They had been happily married for 30 years but their children had grown up, and in the emptier house their “different expectations” became more pronounced. “I wanted to see the world before I got too old, and have adventures,” she says.

So, at 56, Murphy travelled alone to the UK, where she knew no one, and at 60 started the first full-time job of her life.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.