Secret to wedded bliss

Secret to wedded bliss — saying sorry
British couple holds record for longest marriage at 80 years

Reuters
Updated: 1:23 p.m. ET June 1, 2005


LONDON - A British couple -- the record holders for the world's longest marriage — said on Tuesday their success was down to a glass of whisky, a glass of sherry and the word “sorry.”

Percy and Florence Arrowsmith married on June 1, 1925, and celebrated their 80th anniversary on Wednesday.

The Guinness World Records said on Tuesday the couple held the title for the longest marriage and also for the oldest married couple’s aggregate age.

“I think we’re very blessed,” Florence, 100, told the BBC. “We still love one another, that’s the most important part.”

Asked for their secret, Florence said you must never be afraid to say “sorry.”

“You must never go to sleep bad friends,” she said, while Percy, 105, said his secret to marital bliss was just two words: “yes dear.”

The couple have three children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and are planning a party soon.

“I like sherry at lunch time and whisky at night and I’m looking forward very much to my party,” Florence said.