’til death do us part
I had the pleasure this last weekend of attending a family wedding and I have to say a delightful time was enjoyed by all, none more so than the by the bride & groom themselves. As the latter was a cousin of mine, it’s fair to say that, although very dapper, he’s certainly in the full flush of life as opposed to the first bloom of youth! Now, having never travelled down the aisle it may come as a surprise that I remain both a fan of the institution and an eternal optimist for all those that commit to do so. Sadly, with more marriages failing than succeeding, everyone’s best-intentions can often appear misplaced.
Which makes me consider the recent case of Tini Owens, who sought to divorce her husband of forty years, Hugh, a wealthy mushroom farmer, citing behaviour that was so unreasonable the marriage had broken down irretrievably. Unhappy with her lot, Tini, thirteen years his junior, claimed Hugh ‘spoke too loudly in public, once criticised her cardboard recycling efforts and, on another single occasion, disagreed over what gift to buy their housekeeper’. Frankly, I’m pleasantly surprised their marriage lasted so long. Needless to say, Mr Owens refused to consent, was supported by the Supreme Court’s decision to not allow the divorce on these somewhat feeble terms, and the couple will remain separated but married for the foreseeable. Thankfully, several of the defendants mentioned he was a ‘fungi’ to be with. Boom, boom.
All joking aside, whilst this is a bit of a sad story it isn’t a common one as only seventeen divorce petitions (out of 114,000 last year) were contested and the vast majority agree to apportion blame and mutually decide to call it a day. Notwithstanding this, I wish you all long-lasting and fruitful relationships and, Mark & Jeanette, if you’re reading this, please decide on the gift for your housekeeper before you jet-off to the sun!
