After media tycoon Rupert Murdoch announced he is set to marry for the fifth time, at the age of 92, Woman’s Own asks…
WORDS: FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK. MAIN PHOTO: GETTY
YES ‘Divorce is traumatic’
Frances Alcock, 64, is the owner of Opals Funerals and lives in Amersham. If things had been different, this month would have marked my 40th wedding anniversary. Instead, I’m happily single, I run my own business, and I have no intention of being tied down again. After being together for two years, I was 24 years old when I married in April 1983. We moved in together, combined our finances, and planned to start a family.
For over a decade, becoming parents became the main focus of our relationship, but it took until I was 42 until I finally became a mum. Two years later, we welcomed our second child, but although we had the family we’d longed for, I realised I wasn’t happy in my relationship. I confided in my husband, but nothing changed, and by the time we’d reached our 30th wedding anniversary, I knew I couldn’t go on feeling unhappy for another 30 years.
I hoped we could split amicably, but it took more than seven years of hard-earned money, mediation and emotional turmoil before we finally divorced in July 2020. The whole experience was traumatic.
Wanting to ensure complete financial independence for myself, I’ve now set up my own funeral business and I’m much happier being single. It’s easy to get married, yet so difficult to get divorced, and it’s just not worth the hassle. My boys, now 20 and 22, are the only men I need!
✣ opalsfunerals.co.uk
NO ‘I still hope to meet the right person’
Geeta Vaiwala, 45, is a property manager and lives in Manchester with her daughter Mali
