World's oldest newlyweds give marriage tips... and reveal secret to longevity is wine, whiskey and fried food



Wine, whiskey and fried food probably wouldn't top any doctor's list of how to live longer.

But they've clearly not done much harm to Forrest Lunsway and Rose Pollard, who became the world's oldest newlyweds when they married in California at a combined age of 193.

Now the couple have shared their advice on marriage and longevity in the first interview since they tied the knot on Forrest's 100th birthday in March.

Forrest said he enjoys the odd glass of wine and his favourite fried food - but also believes a life spent outdoors rather than behind a desk has kept him going.

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Newlyweds: Forrest Lunsway, 100, and his wife Rose, 93, today spoke about their extraordinary marriage - and revealed the secrets to longevity

They both love ballroom dancing and together have ticked off a list of things they still wanted to do, including kayaking in Alaska and walking the coast of California.



And as for marriage, Rose, 93, told The Daily: 'Take your time and get to know one another. Get to know if you like all the things that person stands for. If they have the same values

'Be forgiving and patient and say I love you once in a while.'

The couple certainly followed that advice, dating for 28 years after they first met at a ballroom dance.

Rose said she initially told Forrest she'd never marry him but she finally succumbed when he popped the question last year.

Wedded bliss: Forrest and Rose have been married for nearly two months. They have applied to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest newlyweds with a combined age of 193 Still dancing: Forrest and Rose never miss a ballroom class at their community centre in Orange County



She said: ‘I told him up front I had no intention of getting married. But then one day he asked me “how come we never got married?” and I said “because you never asked me”.

‘'So he got down on one knee and said “Well I’m asking you now, just set the date.” I told him “I’ll marry you on your 100th birthday”. And I did.’

Forrest said he made it to 100 because he has never had a desk job. He was born in Indiana in 1911, grew up in Kansas and spent his youth trapping animals and selling their fur before moving to California, where he worked as a pipe welder.

He smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 27 years, still enjoys the odd glass of wine with Rose and shares a whisky and 7-Up with his drinking buddies.

Dancing partners: Rose and Forrest got married in front of family and friends at the Dana Point Community Center in California on March 19, Forrest's 100th birthday. They met at a ballroom dance in 1983



Joy: Rose, 93, and Forrest, 100, finally tied the knot in March after dating for 28 years

He told The Daily: 'My favorite food is fried food. Something you can get a chunk of. Cut a bite off a piece of meat, that’s what I like.'

Rose was born in Sacramento in 1920 and worked as an architect, struggling in the sexist environment of the corporate world.

Both had been married before, but were no longer with their partners when they were introduced at a seniors' dance event in 1983.

At first they lived 50 miles apart, and would meet halfway for dates. Eventually Forrest moved in with Rose, and the couple drew up a list of everything they still wanted to do - including their adventure to Alaska.

Special day: Rose says the key to a happy marriage is to be 'forgiving and patient and say I love you'



Forrest said: ‘We've got many happy years left as I intend to stick around until I'm at least 110. You've got to use it or lose it.’

And Rose said now they are just content to enjoy each other's company. She told The Daily: 'That’s one of the things we can forget about - time. Because time doesn’t mean that much.'

When they married on March 19 they beat the previous record for oldest newlyweds held by Harry Corton and Edna Holford from Barnsley, England, who wed with a combined age of 183.