Mary Crumpton is a 44-year-old from Chorlton who practices polygamy- having multiple spouses or multiple marriages at the same time. She is married to Tim, 43-year-old, engaged to John, 53-year-old, and has two boyfriends Micheal, 63, and James, 73.

Although she was brought up in conventional surroundings, the former teacher, now a therapist, started to explore her sexuality at age 29.

"I was brought up in quite a traditional home. I have had boyfriends and was monogamous. Having more than one partner never crossed my mind. In my twenties, I got married and settled down in Chorlton fully intended to be with my husband for life," she said.

"The idea that loving more than one person might not make me a terrible human being only dawned on me when, at a pub, I bumped into a person who had more than one partner. I was quite shocked and curious about how it all worked for them."

She suggested the idea to her partner who accepted, and they both decided to find additional partners. To her, it was about finding more love but to her partner, it was about finding more than one sexual partner.

Although she is no longer with the man she was dating when she wanted to practice polyandry, they are still friends. Mary began her polygamous lifestyle with Tim- her current husband and is hoping to marry John-her fiancé. She has lived with both men since 2015 and her boyfriend Michael and James live close to her home.

Mary explained that living as a three comes with many benefits.

She said, "One of the lovely things about a life with more than one partner is that there is no pressure on one person to supply all my needs."

She explained that she and Tim, her husband share an enthusiasm for environmentalism, electric cars, and veganism. She and John, her fiance, enjoy watching science fiction and go to church together while with Michael. She enjoys darts and karaoke nights.

"Tim and John get on well, I suppose a bit like brothers, going on bicycle rides together for example. So, it seems to work okay. They have something in common in that they both love me of course, and friends joke that I need two of them to keep me in line," she added.

With regards to polyamory, Mary affirmed that being in an open relationship has forced her to communicate better and now she has a stronger and better relationship.

She further added "Of course, all of that is possible in monogamous relationships, and I am not suggesting polyamory is in any way better, just different. But it works well for me personally."

Insecurities can arise in any relationship, but Mary thinks that good communication and assurance can deal with that.