Garden stroll for oldest newly-weds

New Zealand’s oldest newlyweds spent the first morning of married life today walking in the rest home where they both live, staff there said.

British-born Jim Gorringe, 99, and Dinah Leach, 84, exchanged vows in front of more than 100 guests yesterday, sealing their union with a kiss in the southern city of Christchurch.

Today, Jim and Dinah arrived early for breakfast, said St James rest home nursing manager Barbara Stanton.

“I thought they might have wanted to lie in bed till lunchtime,” Stanton said. “But they came to breakfast and have been out walking round the garden together.”

Gorringe met Leach at the home three years ago. They have no plans to move out now that they are married, Stanton said.

Leach said before the nuptials that she was drawn to Gorringe by his lively sense of humour.

Gorringe has been married once before, while it is Leach’s third wedding. Both bride and groom emigrated to New Zealand from England years ago.

Gorringe has taken New Zealand’s long-standing record for the oldest groom from a bachelor who married, aged 97, in 1936.

The Guinness World Records website lists elderly achievements including the oldest tandem skydiver, oldest sailboarder and oldest hedge maze, but does not have a listing for oldest wedding couple.