Two widowed 88-year-olds fell in love in their retirement village gym in Birmingham

Barbara Thompson and Fred Jenkins both lost their partners and said they never expected to find love again. Then they met in the gym at Oscott Retirement Village in Birmingham, and at 88 they fell in love, Good News Network reported.

Barbara moved into the village ten years ago, after her husband died of cancer. Fred, a former Army physical training instructor, lost his wife three years ago. “When my wife passed away, I just thought that that’s the end of the world now,” he said.

The gym

Barbara first went to the gym to keep a friend company. Fred, who has lifted weights all his life, began coaching them both. The friend stopped going, but Barbara kept turning up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“We laughed a lot and we joked a lot and I started looking forward to going to the gym.”Barbara Thompson

Now

They spend almost every day together: the gym three times a week, darts, dominoes, gardening, and dancing whenever music comes on. They recently went on their first holiday as a couple. They have no plans to marry or move in together, and still live in their own flats.

“We were lonely and then we found each other,” Fred said. “It’s a whole new ball game.”