15 Years Ago........

....on July 22nd 1996, I first met Lisa.

But first a bit of history.
I grew up in Bath, while Lisa moved around the country and spent her formative years in the North East.

Here we both are at 4 years old.

 















And at 11 years old.

Lisa moved to Swindon in 1989, around the time I was sunning myself in Greece whilst wearing dodgy sunglasses!

Anyway, back to July 22nd 1996.....

I was none too happy when I got up that day, as it was my first day working with my colleagues who had already been relocated to Swindon from Bristol, meaning a 100 mile round trip from home instead of the 10 mile round trip I had been used to before. I managed to persuade my boss to let me stay in a hotel for the first 2 weeks so that I could settle in. I was asked if I wanted to stay in a big hotel or a homely one. Homely please, says I.

So around mid-morning my boss suggested I go and book myself in to the hotel.

Well, I rang the doorbell and this lovely lady answered and smiled the biggest smile I'd seen for ages.

And, of course, I smiled back, but with a bigger smile than in this photo!

Lisa was running the hotel I was staying in, so we took advantage of her boss being away and would just chat during the evenings for hours. When it came to the end of the second week, I realised that I was going to miss her now I was going back home. As I was a shy sort of chap, I gave Lisa my phone numbers - all 3 of them!
I still needed to go to Swindon several days a week, so I did my best to meet up with her whenever I could as well as keep in touch by phone.

We often reflect on that day and all the twists and turns that were involved in us meeting. If I had not gone to Swindon, or if Lisa's boss had been there and answered the door, would we still have met eventually? I could even have been staying in a completely different hotel. We both agree it was fate that brought us together.

Our wedding took place two years to the day after we met, on July 22nd 1998.

and we went on honeymoon in Spain. You might need your sunglasses for the photo of me!

And here we are now, 15 years and 3 children later, still as close, if not even closer, than ever.

I hope you enjoyed our story. Bye for now.
Alun
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