One way to beat loneliness

Press, 12 June 1987, Page 3

One way to beat loneliness

■■ ■ :. . ■ . . They seem just like a married couple ... she likes taxis, he will not go near one, .she gets up at eight in the morning while he gets up at nine. Their intentions are honorable — but do not include marriage. They are happy living together, eating together, doing everything but sleeping together. Mr Robert < Sherriff, aged 89 — going on a youthful 90 — and Mrs Marion Excell, aged 88,

are two persons who decided to combat loneliness by getting together. They used to live alone in the same street, receiving the same meals through the Red Cross meals-on-wheels service. She detested coming home to an empty house. He longed for someone to talk to. When friends suggested they turn the situation : round by selling their separate homes and buying a joint one, they de-

elded to try it Now in 7 their seventh year of house-sharing they describe life as “perfect” He can scarcely see, she has trouble walking. Together they g’jide each other. Without that “togetherness” they would be in institutions. . They reminisce about . her days preparing meals-on-wheels before she began receiving .them and his days working in the Post Office before he took up farming.

Their relationship is based on respect for privacy and individuality. He says he, is still in love with a wife who died 14 years ago, she feels the same about a husband who died nine years ago. /•We would never marry again for those reasons but we take great joy in being together and would recommend it to anyone,” said Mr Sherriff. He laughs when people tell him they are afraid of growing old, because he

If ; doesn’t feel old and neither , does she. They have already made several trips to Australia together and are due to .leave oh another soon. < Old age is proving positive. ■ " ' “It was lovely in the spring and summer, being young, and autumn was just glorious. But in the winter you have the time to learn to live with yourself and that is very , nice — especially when you share it" 1