A couple who have been married for 61 years are still using the cooker they bought to celebrate moving in together.
Anthony and Marian James, 86 and 84, have been eating meals cooked on their Parkinson Cowan Prince Two for six decades.
The gas cooker has never required any maintenance work and they put its longevity down to its sturdy construction.
Marian said: “It’s been excellent, I’m very, very pleased with it and we’ve never had a single problem.
“Friends who have had more modern ones tell me they haven’t lasted.
“But this cooker is solid, the material is solid, and it won’t fall apart.
“They were made well back then.”
Die sinker James and dental surgery manager Marian tied the knot back in 1961.
After buying their first home in Birmingham they visited a gas showroom and splashed out on a Prince Two.
Despite owning the cooker for around 60 years Anthony claims to have never used it.
He explained: “To be honest I don’t know anything about cooking all I can do is boil a kettle.
“I have never cooked a meal on the cooker and I think Marian would jump on me if I tried.
“There’s only the two of us and she really enjoys cooking.
“She’s always been a very, very good cook - she learned from my mother.”
Marian says she has never considered replacing the Parkinson Cowan with a newer model.
She added: “I have used an electric one on holiday many times and I don’t like them.”
Marian is already planning meals for the festive period.
She also owns a 67-year-old Kenwood Chef food processor, which is still going strong.
Marian said: “I got it when I was 17 and I used it to cook my dinner yesterday.
“It’s done so many thousands of meals and still looks as good as the day it was bought.
“They were made to last back then, it’s been very good value.”
