AFTER being friends for more than 50 years this Hampshire couple are now set to tie the knot.

Jenny Middleton, who turned 81 yesterday, is to marry Paddy Nineham, 75, at 2pm today at Shirley Baptist Church in Church Street.

More than 100 guests will be in attendance and the couple are set to be the oldest bride and groom to be married at the church.

They will be married by assistant pastor Paul Sutton and it is set to be Paul’s first wedding he officiated.

Jenny, a former assistant cook, and Paddy, a former postman, met when Jenny was 22 and was working at the Southampton Chest Hospital alongside her friend Eileen Smith.

Eileen and Paddy were a couple at the time and Jenny became “close friends with both of them”.

Eileen and Paddy married and Jenny married her previous husband Bruce Middleton

Both couples were together for mroe than 50 years and had a son and daughter each.

Jenny said: “We always kept in touch. We went to each others engagement parties and weddings.

“The four of us were just really good friends.”

Jenny added: “Paddy and Eileen really supported me when Bruce passed away five years ago and I supported Paddy when he lost Eileen two years ago.”

After Eileen’s passing the pair met up for a cream tea and Jenny said: “It snowballed from there.

“We have a really good connection.”

Paddy proposed to Jenny a year ago at the knit and natter group that takes place at the church.

Jenny’s daughter Sheema Byrne, 52, from Southampton said she is “really excited” for her mum.

She added: “I’m absolutely pleased for them as Paddy has been such a big part of my life.”

“They are going to be the oldest couple to get married at the church and mum is very proud of that.”

Jenny added: “I know it is the right thing to do and I have got to know Paul very well and he is great with Paddy.”

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