LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Whether it's a new romance or long-lasting, we celebrate the joy of finding that special someone

- BECKY DICKINSON

Long-term love is about making time for each other'

Sara Dove, 67, lives with her husband Richard, 68, in Kent.

Little did I know, at the age of 17, that I'd just met my future husband. I was on holiday in Majorca with my parents and my 14-year-old sister Clare, when we were invited to a barbecue, along with another family and their teenage sons.

While the adults chatted, my sister and I hung out with Richard, then 18, and Simon, 15. We got on well, but at the time we were both seeing other people, so there was no hint of romance. I was about to start teacher training in Bromley, while Richard was off to university in London.

PEN FRIENDS

However, we began to write to each other. Richard had a way with words and would regale me with amusing anecdotes. For the next few years, we saw each other during the holidays when our families got together. It wasn’t until the weekend of my 21st birthday that I saw Richard through a different lens. I noticed that he'd had his long hair cut in a way that looked rather French and sophisticated. And that evening, in my parents’ spare room, we shared our first kiss. I could no longer ignore the chemistry between us.

From then on, we were an item. Richard proposed at Christmastime when I was 25, in front of an audience of penguins at London Zoo. I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else.

We got married the following August. It was such a happy day and I remember swallows darting around inside the church as the congregation sang