Beth Telford was just 16 when she got together with family friend Andy, who was then 44. Four years on, the couple are married with two children and defiant about their 28-year age gap...
When Beth Telford fell for older man Andy, she had no idea she would lose her friends and family and be forced to move away.
The couple were driven from their hometown in North Wales after Andy was dubbed a paedophile due to their 28-year age gap relationship – but the pair say they are blissfully happy.
Andy, 47, who speaks for both of them during our interview and has been married three times before, says: “I have got a stunningly beautiful, 20-year-old wife. People are just jealous of me.”
The couple first met when Beth was 14 and Andy became friends with her mum – she hasn’t spoken to her father for six years. Beth started helping out at his courier firm and Andy swears he just saw her as “one of the lads” who worked there. But a week after her 16th birthday, Beth asked him out.
Beth, now a stay-at-home mum, says: “There wasn’t a moment when I suddenly realised I fancied him. It was just a feeling I got, which was hard to ignore. It seemed so right.”
CHECK OUT unusual baby boy names
CLOSER - Unusual Baby Boy Names STACKED
1 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with A
AbnerMeaning: This Hebrew names means "father is light", or "father of light".AeroMeaning: "of the sky" in Greek.ArkinMeaning: This Norwegian name means "eternal king's son".ArlenMeaning: This Irish name is of Gaelic origin, and means "pledge, promise, oath".
2 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with B
BasilMeaning: Another Greek name on the list, Basil is best known as a herb but also means "royal" or "kingly".BrandoMeaning: Potentially as an homage to the famed actor Marlon Brando, this Italian name is dervied from the French Bertrand, meaning "brilliant raven", "fiery torch" or "beacon".
3 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with C
CedarMeaning: Best known as a coniferous tree, this could be an alternative to Cedric, which was invented by Sir Walter Scott for his novel Ivanhoe in 1819.CosmoMeaning: This name is both used in English and Italian, with the alternative of Cosimo, meaning "order, decency, and beauty".CoyoteMeaning: Fancy naming your baby after a canine creature found mostly in Central and North America?CrispinMeaning: This Latin baby name is from the Roman family name Crispinus, based on the Latin word Crispus which means "curled" or "curly-haired".
4 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with D
DaxtenMeaning: An alternative to the name Dax, it may mean "of the town Dax", which is French.
5 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with E
EbenezerMeaning: Made famous by Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, it means "rock" or "stone of help".
6 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with F
FritzMeaning: This is a shortened version of the German Frederick, derived from the Old High German Fridurih (ruler of peace), a compound name composed of the elements frid (peace) and rik (king, ruler).
7 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with H
HanselMeaning: Best known as the other half of Hansel and Gretel, this Hebrew name means "Gift from God".HarlenMeaning: This is an alternative spelling to Harlan, which is and English name meaning "From the hare's land".HawkMeaning: One of the most feared birds of prey, the word "hawk" actually dervies from the Old English word "hafoc".HestonMeaning: Traditionally an English surname, the name Heston has come into prominence through the famous chef, Heston Blumenthal. It means "one who came from Heston (a London suburb.)", and is derived from the Old English "hes" meaning "brushwood" and "tun" which means "enclosure".HoganMeaning: This is normally an Irish surname. In Irish Gaelic, Ó hÓgáin, it is diminutive of "Og" meaning "young".HyattMeaning: An English name, meaning "from the high gate".
8 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with I
IggyMeaning: Are parents naming their children after Iggy Pop?! This English name means "firey one".IgorMeaning: This Russian name means "warrior of peace".IkeMeaning: Although often short for Isaac, the name Ike is actually a name in it's own right. From Hebrew origins, this name means "he laughs/laughter".IndigoMeaning: Although traditionally a girl's name, this deep, rich purple colour would make a lovely name for either gender! Coming from the Greek "Indikos", meaning Indian dye.
9 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with K
KruzeMeaning: An alternative spelling to Cruz, made famous by the Beckhams, meaning "cross" in Spanish and referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
10 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with L
LionMeaning: Coming from the Latin Leo, which is a name in its own right and often short for Leonardo.LoyalMeaning: The word loyal means "true or faithful in allegiance", which is what we should all hope our children turn out to be! Comes from the Latin legalis, making "legal" and "loyal" from the same branch.LysanderMeaning: Most famous as one of The Lovers in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lysander means "liberator" or "one who is freed". A compound name made up of "lysis" (freedom) and "andros" (man).
11 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with M
MarloMeaning: An alternative to Marlon, which is French, this name means "descendent of Mary".MarsMeaning: The Roman God of war? The Red Planet? Or the delicious chocolate bar? Either way, this name comes from mar, which means to spoil or ruin something. It could also be from the Latin mas, which means male.MarvelMeaning: Are you thinking of naming your son after the comic book giants? Comes from the Latin "mirari", meaning to "wonder at".
12 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with N
NestorMeaning: A Greek name derived from a combination of "νέομαι" (neomai), meaning "go back", and "νόστος" (nostos), meaning "one who returns from travels".
13 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with O
OakMeaning: A sturdy tree which bears the acorn.OzMeaning: Commonly used as a shortening of Australia in the modern Western world, but Oz actually means "strength" in Hebrew.
14 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with P
PaxMeaning: Derived from the Latin "pax" meaning "peace, the binding thing". Pax was also a Roman goddess of peace, and is the name of one of Angelina Jolie's sons.PerseusMeaning: Another character from Greek mythology, Perseus was Hercules' half-brother. This name is either derived from the Greek verb, "πέρθειν" (perthein), meaning "to waste, ravage, sack, destroy" - or, it means "to destroy".PsalmMeaning: A religious hymn, this comes from the Greek "psallein", meaning "to pluck".
15 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with R
RajMeaning: Raj is a Sanskrit Indian name, meaning "King".RamsesMeaning: Ever watch the Prince Of Egypt? Ramses was Moses' step-brother! In Egyptian, Ramses means "begotten by Ra the sun god".RenlyMeaning: It would seem we have a lot of Game Of Thrones fans out there... It's also an alternative to Renleigh or Renley.RigginsMeaning: Traditionally an English surname, Riggins is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin which means "son of Riagán" derived from the Irish name Riagán, which means "little king".RocketMeaning: Possibly taking inspiration from Jamie and Jools Oliver, it comes from the French "roquette" which means "spinning".RoscoeMeaning: This is a Norwegian name, meaning "from the deer forest".
16 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with S
SaintMeaning: Almost definitely taking inspiration from Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's adorable little boy, this name comes from the Latin "sancire", which means "consecrate".SparshMeaning: This unusual name means "touch".
17 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with T
TavishMeaning: A Scottish version of Thomas, it's an Anglicised form of Thàmhais.TigerMeaning: There are quite a few animal names in this list!TruMeaning: A German name meaning "strength of the spear; spear maiden".
18 of 18Unusual Baby Boy Names - beginning with Z
ZeeMeaning: This could be a shortened version of the Hebrew name Ezekiel, which means "God will strengthen".ZiggyMeaning: This German name is a shortened version of Sigmund, which means "protection through victory".ZyronMeaning: There isn't very much explanation on the name Zyron, but it could be an alternative of Zion, which is a Biblical name meaning "monument; raised up; sepulcher".
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Andy recalls: “I’d never looked at her in that way at all. When she asked me out I actually ran to the loo and talked to my father. He’s 84 and his wife is in her mid 40s, and when they’d got together I’d encouraged it, saying if it makes you happy then do it. He said the same to me, so I went back and said ‘yes’. I saw her with new eyes once she asked me out, then I saw her as a woman.”
The couple’s relationship swiftly progressed, and they moved in together after just a few weeks. When family and friends found out, they were horrified, including Beth’s mum – who they haven’t spoken to since. The couple got engaged after a year, when she was just 17, and she fell pregnant with son Timmy before they got married.
It was after Beth was verbally abused while out shopping when Timmy, now two, was just a baby that they decided they had to move away from North Wales to Burnley.
Andy says: “I’d had paedophile written on my work van and Beth was called a sl*g by acquaintances. She shrugged it off, but I couldn’t have our children growing up in that environment.”
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After moving, the couple got married in November 2016. The only family there was Andy’s brother and a handful of friends who they’ve barely seen since. But the couple insist they have no regrets, and they now have a second son, Conwy, one.
Andy, a coach driver, says: “We are each other’s best friend and we don’t need other people. We have loads in common, we like watching all the reality TV shows and soaps together. We’ve never had an argument. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Beth echoes this sentiment, saying: “He calls me beauty and I call him my teddy bear. He’s my best friend.”
The couple admit that even since moving away people stare at them and, when they’re out together, Andy will almost always be mistaken for her dad.
Andy says: “Depending on our mood we will play up to it when people are staring. I’ve been known to pull Beth onto my knee and say, ‘Come to daddy now’ and then give her a huge snog! I don’t understand why people see it as a big deal.”
The couple aren’t worried about what the future might hold. Andy says, “Life is short and you don’t know what’s round the corner. We are living day by day – very happily."