A Salford couple celebrating 70 years of marriage has toldITV that their secret to wedded bliss is love, laughter – and learning when to keep quiet.
The pair, both aged 92, are celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary this week and welcomed TV crews into their living room to share the story of their seven decades as partners in life and in love.
Having first met in 1947 whilst out at the cinema separately with friends, Glenys and Cliff Brown from Cadishead, Salford, officially tied the knot in 1953.
Cliff heard Glenys one night at the pictures and fell in love with her laugh, and the rest is history.
Glenys said: “I laughed [at the film]. I shouldn’t have done because it was serious, and they turned round and ended up walking us home and it sort of kicked off from there.”
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Cliff said: “I fell in love with her and that’s it.”
However, it appears it wasn’t quite plain sailing from there with Cliff spending the next four years wooing Glenys before she agreed to be his and it took two more before they were married.
And it appears Cliff has never stopped making the effort, with Glenys revealing he started a romantic tradition on their wedding day and has kept it up ever sine.
She said: “On our wedding day, Cliff sent me a dozen red roses. They came on the morning of our wedding.
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“Every year since, he’s never missed a single year – I’ve always had my dozen red roses.”
Asked the million dollar question as to what is their secret to a long and happy marriage, the pair both agree that it’s best not to argue.
Glenys said: “Love each other, but mean it.”
Cliff added: “Don’t argue. If she says something that I don’t agree with, I turn me back and shut me mouth.”
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The couple said they have received a card from King Charles to celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary and continue to share many laughs together, even after all these years.
Featured image – ITV
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One million UK adults who have never smoked before are now vaping, new stats reveal
Emily Sergeant
More than a million UK adults who claim to have never smoked cigarettes are now vaping.
According to alarming new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), relating to people aged 16 and over, around 2.8 million men (11.3%) and 2.1 million women (8.2%) are thought to be smokers in the UK… but more than a million people, who have never smoked before, have now made the decision to start vaping instead.
People in the 25 to 34 age group were found to be the most likely to vape, according to the data, overtaking those aged 16 to 24, as it was the only age group to see a rise in e-cigarette usage.
Daily or occasional vaping is still higher than the proportion of people smoking cigarettes too, the ONS revealed, at 5.4 million, or 9.9%, versus 4.8 million (8.7%).
One million UK adults who have never smoked are now vaping / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels) | Pxhere
“Fewer than one in 10 adults now smoke,” commented David Mais, from the ONS.
“This is the lowest proportion on record and continues the long-term decline in smoking. [But] at the same time, e-cigarette use remains more common than smoking and has followed an overall upward trend since 2020.
“E-cigarette users are also getting older, with those aged 25 to 34 now overtaking 16 to 24-year-olds as the age group most likely to use them.
“This may reflect existing users getting older, growing popularity among this age group, or a combination of both.”
Overall, the prevalence of smoking dropped in all four UK nations between 2024 and 2025.
Featured Image – Elsa Olofsson (via Unsplash)
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Three Manchester motorways named in UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’
Emily Sergeant
Three motorways in and around Manchester have been named the ‘most challenging’ in the UK.
As part of MoneySuperMarket’s new Great British Motorway Report, new research has found that one in three UK motorists find motorway driving ‘stressful’ – despite more than 70 billion miles being travelled on Britain’s motorways each year.
From delays and congestion to high traffic levels, there are a number of factors that can contribute to driver stress levels.
But are some motorways more challenging for drivers than others? According to the data, yes. And three of the top 10 worst motorways in the UK are in and around Greater Manchester.
To find out which are the most challenging, MoneySuperMarket analysed everything from collision rates and roadworks, to lane closures and driver feedback in order to reveal the top 10.
Manchester is home to three of the UK’s top 10 most challenging motorways – the M602, M62, and M60, the latter of which took the top spot on the list.
Three Manchester motorways have been named in the UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’ / Credit: pxfuel
Encircling Greater Manchester and linking many of the region’s motorways, the M60 recorded the lowest overall score in the index.
Despite handling significant volumes of traffic, the M60 experienced some of the highest average delays, at 15.58 seconds per vehicle per mile, and alongside this, it saw 34 collisions in the past year alone. But despite these challenges, the M60 remains an essential route for regional connectivity, and often cannot be bypassed.
“If you’re feeling anxious, allow extra time for your journey so you don’t feel pressured to rush or make last-minute decisions,” commented Alicia Hempsted at MoneySuperMarket.
“Plan your route in advance, including where you’ll stop for breaks, as regular rest stops can help you stay alert and reduce stress on longer trips, and if you’re travelling alone, consider sharing your route with someone you trust if it helps you feel more comfortable.”
Georgina Pellant -
5th July 2023 
