An article in The Register tells a heartwarming story of a husband and wife celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary by having a slap-up feast – of a tin of 50-year old chicken.

A sentimental husband in Denton, Greater Manchester, has celebrated his golden wedding anniversary by eating a 50-year-old can of chicken.

Les Lailey had been saving the tin of Buxted Whole Cooked Chicken in Jelly from a buffet he and his bride Beryl received as a wedding gift – in 1956. They kept hold of the tin through numerous house moves, explaining to the BBC: “I always said ‘on my 50th wedding anniversary I’m going to eat that chicken’ – so I did.”

He added: “It was all right. But I don’t like chicken.”

The couple ate everything else in their wedding hamper, but with post-war rationing still in effect, a whole canned chicken was a rare delicacy. Les reported: “It tasted just like ordinary chicken. A little bit salty but that was my fault for not cooking it like I should have done.”

Beryl was not too impressed with her husband’s romantic gesture: “If it was a diamond ring or something like that, that would be different.”

Poor Beryl. Apparently not a fan of eating old cock then.