A married couple born 32 years apart have proved that age is irrelevant when it comes to love. Father
of seven Thomas Bolton, 56, shocked his family by returning from a
fishing holiday, with an unusual catch - a bride more than three decades
his junior.
Mr
Bolton fell 'hook line and sinker' for Jainaba Sawo, 24, during the
trip with his brothers in Gambia - with the pair tying the knot just
three weeks later.
Despite
concerns from Mr Bolton's family that Jainaba was 'just after a visa',
the husband and wife have been happily married for three years and now
have a 17-month-old son, Malang. Jainaba
and Thomas first met in December 2011 in Tallinding, Serrekunda in
western Gambia, while Thomas was holidaying with his brothers.
The
joiner, from Accrington, Lancashire, said: 'I went to Gambia on a
fishing trip with my brothers and came back with a wife. It was very
unexpected, but I'm so happy.
'I had finished an afternoon of fishing and was walking along the Kotu beach when I spotted Jainaba sunbathing.' The
couple started chatting and hit it off straight away, and four days
later, Thomas had already met Jainaba's family, declaring his love for
her and their intentions to marry.
Jainaba
said: 'My family welcomed Thomas and thought of him as their son. My
mum Binta, 47, was wary at first because he was a stranger, but she
could see how much he cared for me. 'At
first my family were worried that I was getting married too quickly,
but they said it was my decision, and that they'd stand by me either
way.'
Less than three weeks later in January 2012, the pair married in Jainaba's hometown, Tallingding, in a small ceremony. Jainaba
said: 'Thomas's friends and family didn't come to the wedding, which I
think upset Thomas, but the wedding wasn't planned in advance so it was
really difficult for them.'
Thomas's
friends did not make it to the wedding but the couple (pictured on their
wedding day left and right, with a guest) have now been married for
three years and proven skeptics wrong
Thomas with Jainaba's sister (centre) and cousin (right) on his wedding day in Gambia in January 2012
The same day, Thomas converted to Islam to show his dedication to his new wife and now prays daily. The couple's whirlwind romance was cut short as Thomas' holiday came to an end and he was forced to return to the UK.
Their
relationship remained long distance until September 2012 when Jainaba
finally finished the necessary paperwork and exam to be granted entry to
the UK.
Despite
initial reservations from Thomas's family about Jainaba's intentions,
their first child together, Malang, was born in June 2013.
Jainaba
said: 'I'm younger than most of Thomas's children, whose ages range
from 22 to 39, so naturally they were suspicious at first but now
they've accepted me.'Some people didn't believe it would work because they thought I was just after a visa into the UK.
'They
said the age gap would give us problems, but no one knows where love
comes from. I love how Thomas treats me - he's so romantic and often
surprises me with flowers and perfume. He's my hero.
'The most difficult thing about living in England has actually been living away from my friends and family, especially my mum.' Thomas,
whose ex-wife died four years ago after suffering from pancreatic
cancer, said his friends are jealous of his marriage to a younger bride. He said: 'All my friends want a younger wife now.
'I
don't believe there should be a stigma with age gap relationships as
Jainaba and I have had no problems in our relationship. She's more
mature than most people her age.'
The loved-up couple are hoping to have a second baby in the future.
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