A SCHOOLBOY married a 51-year-old mum-of-two when he was just 17 – despite his mates taunting him for being a “granny basher”.
Jay Barham, now 36, tied the knot with his former driving instructor Linda, 69, in 2000 despite a 34-year age gap.
And the pair stunned pals who said it wouldn’t last by staying together – and are set to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary.
Jay said: “Linda has been called a child snatcher, I’ve been called a granny basher.
“We’ve been called names in the street, and sometimes people think she is my mum.
“But we don’t care what people say.
“Our marriage has lasted a lot longer than many others and we are still very much in love.”
The pair bonded over eight weeks of driving lessons in the late 1990s.
He added: “For eight weeks she was helping me learn how to drive.
“And then one time a track just started playing and we just kissed.
“For the life of me I can’t remember which one but it had to be Elton John because he’s our favourite.
“It was completely unspoken up until that point, but as it happened it was like the sun just came out and it was a shock to both of us.”
“People have said horrible things to us in the street.
“We just got on with it, even now people frown on it. I always reply to people like that asking how many divorces they’ve had.
“Most marriages have all split up, regardless of their age.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
