A PR consultant to eight Fylde Coast hospitals is living proof that Guinness is good for you.

Michele Guinness (pictured), who handles public relations for the Fylde Community Health Trust, married into the famous brewing dynasty more than 20 years ago and has now written its first-ever history, The Guinness Spirit.

Michele's husband, Peter, is the great-great-grandson (and nearest living relative) of the brewery's founder Arthur Guinness and is now a vicar in Lancaster.

"My fascination with the family probably started before I got married," said Michele. "Coming from a Jewish family I had to tell my parents I wanted to marry someone who wasn't Jewish and I wanted to impress them so I took along a family tree of the Guinnesses.

"My father's first reaction was: 'And did you have to pick a poor relation?'

"Then we went on honeymoon to my father-in-law's house in Ibiza and I read his biographies of members of the family who were missionaries.

"I discovered they had hair-raising adventures - there was an aunt who travelled the length of China in a wheelbarrow and a brother who lived through the Boxer uprising, hiding for two months in an attic with a six-week-old baby. "I thought, 'Why does everybody think the Guinness family stands for glamour, luxury and tragedy when they're so much more than that?'

"They all have tremendous energy and drive, including my husband who was a schoolteacher when we married. I was shocked when he decided to be ordained, but I suppose I shouldn't have been because so many of his family were ministers - including his grandfather who preached teetotalism outside the brewery in Dublin."

Luckily, the preacher had little effect in the city where, says Michele, "I was astonished to find the name still carries so much clout."

Several years ago she was in Dublin on her way to give a talk when her shoe-strap broke. She limped into a cobblers only to be told she would have to wait hours - until she gave her name and it was ready in five minutes.

"I was with an American at the time and he said it was just like being with a Kennedy in New York."

Michele has loved Blackpool ever since she was brought here as a child on holiday from Newcastle and has represented the public face of eight hospitals from Fleetwood to Lytham for three years.

What does the Rev Peter think of his wife's new book? "He's thrilled," said Michele, "mainly for the sake of our children, Joel, who's 21, and Abby, 18. He felt it was a story that ought to be written. Everybody thinks the only Guinnesses are rich Guinnesses - we're here to prove they're not."

Michele, a regular TV and radio broadcaster, has written seven books on women's interests, health and religious issues. Her new book is published by Hodder and Stoughton at £18.99.

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