An Ely couple who have been married for 67 years featured in a national newspaper after sharing their secret to eternal youth: eating sunflower seeds!
Jaroslaw and Norah Czarnobaj, who are 92 and 91 respectively, were surprised to open last Friday's edition of The Daily Mirror and find a story had been written about them.
The feature came about after the couple read an article about a father and son who grow sunflowers together.
After telling their daughter Stephanie, she decided to email the journalist with details about her parents.
"Dad has been growing the giant sunflowers for over 50 years - he keeps the seeds and gives them to family, friends and neighbours so they can also enjoy growing them," she said.
"He eats the seeds, too, as they are very nutritious and it is customary to snack on them in his home country Poland."
Jaroslaw and Norah originally met in 1953 at a local dance at the Corn Exchange that used to be on Ely Market square.
"Mum was won over by his polite bowing when inviting her to dance," said Stephanie.
"Local girls used to say 'here come the Polish boys', and he would then visit her workplace at Boots the Chemist to see her," she added.
At the time, Jaroslaw was a refugee at Mepal camp and worked at The Bell Hotel in Ely, having initially arrived in England in 1945 after he, his mother and siblings fled Poland amid the Russian invasion.
He previously worked at the prestigious Lygon Arms hotel in the Cotswolds but trained as a carpenter and joiner after getting married and starting a family.
Over the years, he has worked during the construction of hospitals in the area, including Addenbrooke's in Cambridge, Hinchingbrooke in Huntingdon and the RAF Ely.
Norah, meanwhile, was born in Ely, worked at Boots the Chemist, as a dinner lady at St Mary’s Junior School and at Steeple Gate Tea Rooms.
Stephanie, who has one brother, Michael, and one sister, Helen, added: "They both love their garden and are incredibly proud of their garden display.
"So impressive are the cosmos and sunflowers that many delivery drivers and taxi drivers stop to take photos."
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