What makes for a great marriage?

THE British based Silversurfers web portal, which caters for all of those over 50, has run a survey asking exactly that question of their members and in total they have received 2,261 responses from couples ranging in age from 50 to 80+ from all over the UK.

The results are illuminating and suggest that if you are married and reach the age of 50 then a very high percentage of marriages will continue until one of the partners dies.

Highlights are that a third of over 50s have been together for more than 41 years, over half of those believe that being in love is the secret to remaining together and one in four believe that great sex is important in keeping the couple together.

Another interesting fact is that 56 per cent of those who were classed as ‘Silverdaters’ went on to marry the person they met online.

When it comes to marriage, it seems the over 50s are the generation to watch; with two thirds claiming they are in happy marriages with a third of them being together for a blissful 41-50 years, says a new Barometer Survey of the over 50s community of Silversurfers.com.

Most of them made the right choice first time with 70 per cent married once with just under one in four proving second time is lucky.

Celebrity couples such as Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have been together for 31 years, Sting and Trudie, married 24 years and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, married 28 years, could teach youngsters such as the Beckhams and Gary Barlow a few tricks to keep their already strong marriages going for another 20 years.

So what can they teach the younger generation about a happy marriage?  It’s not all a bed of roses and for almost 80 per cent the most important factor in staying together is supporting each other through the tough times.  Honesty and trust prove to be the bedrock of a successful partnership (64 per cent) but it’s appreciating the lighter side with lots of laughs and fun holding 68 per cent together.

It seems that independence is the key for some, with 10 per cent saying that not spending too much time together helps and 41 per cent certain that having their own interests different from their partner keeps life interesting.

For those who didn’t last the course a third say that someone in the marriage met someone else while 11 per cent admit to being incompatible from the start. 

Online dating proves a hit with the over 50s; although only a small proportion have tried it (12 per cent), of those who have 56 per cent met their partner in cyberspace.  Unfortunately a third found that it was misleading saying that everyone lied on their profiles.

Martin Lock CEO Silversurfers, said: “It’s encouraging to see that the institution of marriage is enduring and that most people of the older generation have long and happy marriages.  There’s clearly no one secret to it, a combination of things keep marriages alive, but support, friendship and lots of laughter seem to be the food of love!”

Silversurfers is the leading independent portal for the over 50s in the UK; with fantastic articles, regular barometer surveys and exciting promotions and offers and can be viewed on www.silversurfers.com.

Share your experience and win a bottle of champagne

Euro Weekly News would be delighted to hear from our very own ‘silver readers’ about their experiences and we invite you to let us have your idea about what has kept your marriage long and happy.

We are also searching for who holds the record for the longest marriage amongst all of our family of readers and are offering the chance for this happy couple to be pictured in the paper and the winning couple will also win a bottle of champagne with our compliments.

Please e-mail your details to married@euroweeklynews.com or write to us at Married, Euro Weekly News, Casa de la Prensa, Calle Moscatel 10, P-62, Poligno Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29631, Benalmadena, Malaga. Please ensure that you include your name, address and telephone number with your answer and all responses must be received by Thursday July 28.