Percy and Flo Arrowsmith Finally Part Ways

Going through the Guinness Book of World Records one finds that some records are trifling and some plain bizarre. However, Percy and Florence Arrowsmith set a pretty meaningful one a couple of weeks ago that may stand forever. They celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary (no, that is not a typo, eight decades of marriage), on June 1. Mr. Arrowsmith died this week at the age of 105.

Back in 1925, when the two of them vowed “till death do us part,” the Great Depression was still a couple years off and the Austrian paperhanger who gave the world its worst war ever was nothing more than an ex-con who had written his memoirs. Back then, people also had a much different view of marriage than they do today. When King Edward VIII married a divorced woman while the Arrowsmiths were celebrating 13 years together, the nation was so shocked that he was forced to give up his throne. Now, close to half of all the marriages in the UK will end in divorce, and the Prince of Wales is married to a divorcee (although not without some consternation over it).

So, what was the secret? According to Mrs. Arrowsmith, told the BBC, "If you've had a quarrel, you make it up - never be afraid to say sorry." And she told the Daily Telegraph, "It is all about hard work. We have had our arguments but we work through them together. We always go to bed as friends and always make up before we go to sleep with a kiss and a cuddle.” She told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, “"I think we're very blessed. We still love one another, that's the most important part." Meanwhile, Mr. Arrowsmith told the CBC that the secret was, "Saying ‘Yes, dear’." He was a witty fellow even to the end it seems.

If the Arrowsmiths of Hereford are anything by which to go, marriage is not something one does lightly. It’s work, and one has to be determined to work at it. And with a 50% divorce rate, or thereabouts, it seems half the people who do get married shouldn’t. “Till death do us part” can be a very long time indeed. Then again, it can be done.


© Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
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