Jake and Mary Jacobs marked their 70th anniversary of a happy marriage last year, but their journey wasn’t simple.
Mary, who is White, and Jake, who is Black, lived in the same city in 1940s Britain. At that time, there weren’t many Black men there.
Even though Mary’s father told her to leave, Mary chose love over easy choices.
“When I told my father I was going to marry Jake, he said, ‘If you marry that man, you will never set foot in this house again.’”
Mary and Jake first met at a technical college where Mary was learning typing and shorthand, and Jake was undergoing Air Force training. They met during the war when Jake moved from Trinidad to Britain.
Jake impressed Mary with his understanding of Shakespeare, and they got to know each other. One day, they invited Mary and her friend to join them for a picnic. Unfortunately, someone passing by saw them and reported Mary to her father. The woman was shocked to see two English girls talking with black guys. After this incident, Mary wasn’t allowed to visit her father again.
After Jake returned to Trinidad, they kept in touch through letters. A few years later, he came back to the U.K. to find a better-paying job.
Jake surprised Mary by proposing, and she, at 19, said yes. However, when she told her family, they kicked her out.
“I left with only one small suitcase. No family came to our registry office wedding in 1948.”
Mary’s father was upset about her marrying a black man, and Mary didn’t realize that society felt the same way.
The early years of their marriage in Birmingham were tough. Mary cried every day, hardly ate, and they faced many challenges. Nobody would talk to them, they couldn’t find a place to live because nobody would rent to a black man, and they had little money.
Even walking down the street together was hard because people would point at them, Mary explained.
Mary and Jake were excited to become parents, but at eight months, Mary gave birth to a stillborn child. She mentioned it wasn’t due to the stress she was under, but it deeply saddened them, and they didn’t have any more children.
As time passed, their lives improved. Mary became a teacher and eventually an assistant principal, while Jake found a job with the Post Office. They made new friends, but Mary felt the need to explain to people that her husband was black before introducing them.
“My father passed away when I was 30, and even though we reconciled by then, he never approved of Jake,” she shared.
Currently, Jake, 89, and Mary, 84, live in Solihull, a town south of Birmingham. They recently celebrated 70 years of marriage.
Jake said he has no regrets, but he also mentioned that today’s black youth may not fully understand the challenges he faced in 1940s Britain.
“When I arrived in the U.K., I faced abuse every day. Once, on a bus, a man rubbed his hands on my neck and said, ‘I wanted to see if the dirt would come off.’ Back then, working in an office as a black man with white girls wasn’t considered safe,” Jake explained.
Despite all the challenges, bias, and abuse, the pair is still deeply in love and has no regrets about being married. They have been happily married for more than 70 years.
These two are a true inspiration, and I wish them a lifetime of pleasure because of the love they have for one another.
Paul McCartney at 82: You Won’t Believe How He’s Changed Over the Years!
In a career that has lasted nearly seven decades, Paul McCartney—who celebrated his birthday in June—is just as amazing today as he was in 1961 when he joined The Beatles.
The frontman of the famous band has changed a lot over his 82 years but remains an incredible entertainer. He still releases hit songs and keeps coming up with new looks.
Keep reading to see how this 80-year-old continues to stay stylish!
During the 1960s, Beatlemania took over, leaving a lasting impact on culture, fashion, and hairstyles that is still felt today.
Wearing sharp suits, The Beatles changed fashion with their iconic mop-top haircuts, featuring side-swept fringes and a textured look. This hairstyle became a worldwide trend and was closely associated with the band.
Over the years, Paul McCartney has worn many different hairstyles, from shorter cuts to shaggy looks, and has sported a beard and mustache. His hairstyles have always followed the trends of each era.
In 1969, the same year he married Linda (who passed away in 1998), McCartney grew a thick beard along with his shaggy red hair. His beard became so popular that it even has its own Instagram page called “Dedicated to the finest beard in rock n roll history.”
McCartney has tried various hair lengths and styles, keeping up with trends while still maintaining his unique look. However, not all of his hairstyle experiments were successful.
According to the New York Daily News, when Paul McCartney was married to Heather Mills (2002 to 2008), he tried to dye his hair himself using a store-bought kit. He made a mess of it in the bathroom of their home in the Hamptons.
Mills was so worried about how bad it looked that she called a Manhattan salon to fix it. The salon said, “She called very upset. People were making fun of the color. He was dyeing his hair with a box color.”
After years of trying to hide his graying hair, McCartney finally embraced aging gracefully. In 2018, at age 76, he surprised fans by appearing on *The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon* with striking silver hair.
McCartney, who had been dyeing his hair brown for about 30 years, decided to let his natural silver shine through. The Daily Mail noted that just months before, he had still been showing off dark hair, but he had started letting some grey show in January as a step towards a more natural look.
Since releasing his acclaimed album *McCartney III* in 2020, recorded during the Covid lockdown, McCartney’s silver hair has become a part of his distinguished and mature appearance.
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In March 2024, Paul McCartney was spotted enjoying the beach in St. Barts with his wife, Nancy Shevell, whom he married in 2011.
At 81 years old, McCartney was playfully running along the beach in a long-sleeved black shirt and sunset-print shorts, with his hair blowing in the wind. Nancy, 64 and cousin of the late journalist Barbara Walters, wore black shorts and a colorful patterned long-sleeved top while wading in the water.
Recently, McCartney posted on social media to wish his father and former bandmate Ringo Starr a happy birthday. Fans quickly commented, calling the men “fab” and praising McCartney’s looks. One fan wrote, “Stop being so cute old man,” while another referenced The Beatles’ song “She Loves You” with “We love you yeah yeah yeah.” Other fans complimented his style, saying, “You look great Paul. Love your threads,” and “You are so handsome.”
McCartney’s hairstyles have changed over the years, but his early mop-top and sharp suits remain iconic. Throughout his career, he has stayed youthful and embraced his role as a music legend, always keeping his unique style and charm.
What do you think of Paul McCartney at 82? Share your thoughts and spread the word so we can hear what others think!
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