text: A middle-aged grandmother and her husband are defying their critics by celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary, despite their 29-year age gap. William Smith was just 15 when he fell in love with his best friend's mother, Marilyn Buttigieg, who was then 44 years old. The couple, from Crawley, West Sussex, shared their first date and kiss in September 2005. They came under fire from family and friends for the substantial age gap when they became an item when William was 16. Scroll down for video . William Smith was just 16 when he fell in love with his best friend's mother, Marilyn Buttigieg, then 44 . But they feel they have proved their critics wrong because they are still together. The pair tied the knot six years ago this month, after being together for four years. Grandmother-of-eight Marilyn, now 54, said: 'The age gap doesn't matter. Age is just a number and it's about time people got over it.' William, now 25, says it was love at first sight when he clasped eyes on Marilyn - after being invited round to play computer games with her son. William, who unusually took his wife's surname when they got married, said: 'Three or four months went by, then another couple of months - I didn't have the courage to say anything about it, probably due to the fact of the age gap, and the fact she was my mate's mum.' The grandmother-of-eight, 54, said: 'The age gap doesn't matter' and she 'Couldn't wish for anything better' When he finally asked her out, the mother-of-seven dumped her then husband and entered a relationship with the teen. The couple faced a lot of criticism from people who disapproved of the 29-year age gap and predicted the marriage was doomed to failure - and Marilyn's children have all but cut off contact with the loved-up pair. Marilyn, who works at a doctors' surgery in Crawley Down, said of their marriage: 'I couldn't wish for anything better than my marriage and husband. 'We proved all critics wrong. Everybody was saying it wasn't going to last - we've proved we are a real thing.' William added: 'I don't look at Marilyn and think, 'She's nearly 30 years older than me.' She's a nice person so age doesn't matter.' William says it was love at first sight when he clasped eyes on Marilyn . Mother-of-seven Marilyn said she and William still had to put up with people giving them the occasional odd looks in the street. Previously-wed Marilyn added: 'I suppose we always will but people should realise by now after all these years it's a real thing and let us be. We thought it would stop. 'We would always have the odd looks, we don't really care to be honest. 'We've had so much grief over the years nothing shocks us any more. The age gap doesn't matter. 'Age is just a number and it's about time people got over it.' William said he had noticed how time seemed to be flying by as he and his wife built their life together . Marilyn hates her 'cougar' tag, and insists there are double standards for men dating younger women. She said: 'It's OK for a man to do it, why is it not OK if a woman does it?' Like many young husbands, William said he had noticed how time seemed to be flying by as he and his wife built their life together. He said: 'Everything is good in our relationship. I just cannot fathom where the time has gone. Our main goal is to make more memories. 'Hopefully time slows down a bit because it's going too quickly.'
target: William Smith was 15 when he fell in love with Marilyn Buttigieg, then 44 .
  Met after he was invited round to play computer games with her son .
  Pair, from Crawley, West Sussex, say they have proved their critics wrong .
  Marilyn's children have all but cut off contact with the loved-up pair .
  Marilyn, now 54, left her then husband to be with William, now 25 .