100-year-old Norah Witkiss 'excited' to wed Malcolm Yates, 74

Norah Witkiss thought Malcolm Yates's wedding proposal "was a good idea"

Aged 100, Norah Witkiss has said she is "really excited" to be marrying her 74-year-old partner Malcolm Yates after 30 years together.

Asked why they waited so long to tie the knot, the former school cook said: "I didn't wait, life went too quick. I was always doing something."

But she added: "Malcolm never mentioned it and I wasn't going to ask him to marry me."

The pair are to marry at a hotel near their home in Prestatyn next month.

Ms Witkiss had been twice married and widowed when she met divorcee Mr Yates at a dance in the 1980s and they have "been together ever since".

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Mr Yates, a former bus driver, said he popped the question a few weeks ago.

"It's better us both being together because every time we go out people ask if we are married," he said.

His bride-to-be said she was not surprised to have been asked after all this time.

"It just come around and I thought it was a good idea," added Ms Witkiss.

She has already picked out a "smart dress" for the ceremony on 16 October which will be attended by about 30 family and friends.

"It should be a good afternoon," said Mr Yates.

A native of Wrexham, Ms Witkiss moved to Prestatyn while in her teens.

She worked at a hotel where she met her first husband Fred Thomas with whom she had a daughter, Marlene.

After his death she met and later married Bert Witkiss and it was shortly after his death that she met Mr Yates, originally from St Helens.

Mr Yates said they never really thought about getting married until now, adding "time's getting on so we thought we might as well tie the knot".