A couple with a 40-year age gap who believe “love is love” are celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary.
Edna, 87, and Simon Martin, 47 from Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset met at a concert when she was 68 and he was 28. The pair describe their first encounter as “love at first sight”.
The Martin’s celebrated their anniversary with a modest dinner of fish and chips.
Opening up about their significant age gap, Simon said he believes “age is a statement of mind” and that people are old only if they “feel old”.
While the couple were initially scrutinised by members of their local community due to the age gap, people have now become accepting of their love.
“We have actually inspired other people in age-gap relationships to take the next step and get married,” Simon explained.
“Our friends and acquaintances have always been happy for us but of course we just ignore any weird looks and comments.
“Love is love and everyone should ignore what anyone else says.”
Edna, a retired engineer and grandmother of four, said her family were supportive of her relationship from the start, but Simon’s parents took some time to adjust.
“My daughter made our wedding cake, and my son gave me away,” Edna said.
“He said at the wedding reception: ‘I’ve been wanting to give my mother away all my life and this is the day for it’.
“My son is 57. My grandchildren are more the age that Simon is, but nobody takes any notice.”
The couple also make a point not to shy away from public displays of affection, sharing that they’ll often “have a little kiss in the supermarket”.
“It’s really wonderful that we can express our love publicly – not for other people, but for ourselves,” Simon said.
“It’s very rare to see a couple of any age giving each other a loving peck or showing their affection.”
