Modern-day Romeo and Juliet celebrate emerald anniversary (From Western Telegraph)

Modern-day Romeo and Juliet celebrate emerald anniversary

9:59am Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News

A modern-day Romeo and Juliet celebrated their emerald wedding anniversary yesterday (Wednesday) despite whispers over half a century ago that their union would never last.

Former Haverfordwest mayor Mike Davies married Jenny Llewellyn 55 years ago. The pair came from two of the county town’s oldest families; the Llewellyns and their rivals the Davies family.

“We started walking out together in 1955 and got engaged in 1957,” said Mike.

“Our families had been ‘warring’ for generations and the town gossips said it would never last.”

However the couple, who have two children and four grandchildren, have proved their critics wrong. What’s more, their marriage seems to have united the opposing clans.

“There are still members of the families in Haverfordwest,” added Mike. “They are all speaking now.”

Olympic torchbearer Mike said the secret to their long and happy marriage was to be honest, talk everything through and then “do the things you have agreed to”.

“Having married against family objections, Jenny followed me all over the world as a member of the army wives,” he added.

“No one will ever know the true value Jenny has been to me, having taken care of me all these years, through every sporting and military, injury.

“To top it all, she became mayoress of her home town, an appointment she took on for me, despite being more than a little overawed by the prospect of such a high-profile role.

“Jenny is an absolute angel.

"Some would say that she deserves a medal, I certainly would have turned out a lesser man without her.”