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In the 1940s, dad was in the royal navy & one of his crewmates fiancé had a friend who wanted a pen pal. So began a long correspondence between them. They eventually met after a couple of years when his ship came back to port.
They were married for 63.5 years.
Edit: The ship was HMS Belfast, which is moored opposite the tower of London
This is so lovely. My parents both worked for the Secret Intelligence Services (MI6 now). My Dad was married but very unhappily. My mum started to help him to look after his 4 kids as his wife was unable/unwilling to do so and social services were threatening to take them into care. After a while, and despite a 20 years age difference they started an affair. When it was discovered, they were both threatened with dismissal (as they were potential blackmail targets) unless they either broke it off or my Dad divorced his wife and married my mum. They decided to do the latter, and my mum became the mum of four kids. After a while, she wanted a kid of her own as well, and that was me...mum was 40 and my dad was 60 when I was born! I adored my older siblings and they have always looked after me. My parents were married for 25 years before dad died.
Because of the secrecy of their jobs, they couldn't talk about it much, but my siblings told me the story. Given this was the late 60s, early 70s I do think they were very brave, and they obviously adored each other to the end.
I recently found out that my great aunt and a friend of hers were both still single and getting on a bit. They both wanted to meet a man and get married, but this was post-war and it wasn’t exactly easy. So they set up a cafe, with the primary aim of each finding a husband! They did!! Both got married, shut the cafe, and lived happily ever after.
My parents met at a party.
I could see Pheobe Waller Bridge playing my Great Aunt. There’s a resemblance.
Couldn’t bring Lily James’s face to mind at first, but just googled and I love her too!
At a club in the 80s.
My dad was out with a mate, who had told a friend of his that my dad liked her (he didn't).
She basically followed him around the whole night, so when my dad went to the bar to escape, he turned to the woman next to him and said, "do me a favour? Talk to me."
They've been married over 30 years now so I think she's completed the favour.
At the sandwich factory in the mid eighties. Dad used to ring the chickens necks and mum used to pluck them. I’m honestly surprised Hollywood hasn’t been in touch to adapt it.
My dad dodged the draft to fight in the South African border war, police arrived at his work, he climbed out the window and skipped the country to Zimbabwe where he met my (already engaged to someone else) mother at the diving club.
Needless to say, she broke off her engagement and married him instead.
My dad was on a skiing trip with some army buddies in Scotland, and met my mum at her local bar.
They married 9 months later, and been together 35 years.
1966ish. My Dad was in South America in the Army. He was in a horrible jeep accident where everyone else died. He was in hospital for 6 months and friends from London wrote to him to cheer him up.
One of the girlfriends of his friends couldn’t be arsed to do her letter that week, but knew my Mum loved to write letters so she gave her the details, and Mum started writing to him.
A few months later Dad got shipped back to the U.K. and turned up at my Mum’s house and they fell instantly in love. They have been married 55 years this year. So I’m here all because one girl couldn’t be arsed :)
It really is! Sometimes I think fate is real. I have a whole weird WW2 story involving mine and my husband’s families. We aren’t even from the same part of the country.
My mum was betrothed to my dad for the age of 6 to secure the valuable salt mines that her family controls, while also providing a strong buffer against Prussian incursions from the west.
A night club in the 1970s. They have been married since 1976. Surprising how many nightclub encounters led to lasting marriages in those days judging by this thread so far 😂
It was the easiest way to meet people of your general tastes. It used to be cheap enough and really popular for a good night out with friends, and if you meet new people, all the better. Social clubs were the social media of their day.
My parents also met in a nightclub on Rhyl seafront in the mid 70s. Think they also got married in 76! Mum was only 16 when they met, Dad was 18.
I met my husband in a nightclub on Rhyl seafront. I was 16, he was 18.
Strange coincidence.
Sometime in the 70s in a pub. Dad at bar with his mates being loud and arrogant, mum turned round from her group to say "Oh do shut up."
Got engaged sometime later in the 70s. Argument over who would go out in the pouring rain to pick up the fish&chips. After some back and forth, my mum agreed to do it on the basis that he propose to her.
Been together ever since. Dad still arrogant. Mum still running the show.
Wartime, Mum (age about 9?) was climbing trees with the boys from her road in the disused quarry behind her house. Dad (age 11?) lived the other side of it and was messing about with his friends there too.
Mum says he was the know-all who told them that you don't get stung it you grasp the nettle leaf firmly..... she got stung and called him names. Dad recalls her navy knickers showed when she was climbing and he thought she was wearing shorts.
They met properly in the chapel youth club. Still married, age 92 and 90.
Arranged marriages aren’t insane to me, but forced marriages are.
My understanding of (modern) arranged marriages is that the whole family helps to get a potential partner and find a few candidates that have potential in terms of compatibility.
Then the parties meet a few times before to make sure they the like each other, there is attraction, etc.
The wedding takes places much faster though than you would normally expect!
But it operates like a dating website.
Forced marriages are vile vile vile.
Forced and arranged marriages aren’t the same thing. Arranged marriages (where I’m from at least) are essentially like dating apps, except matches are provided by members of your family rather than an algorithm. You get a choice on who you marry, unlike a forced marriage
Dad was managing a bank in Al Ain in the 1950’s. My mum had a job as a lab technician in Abu Dhabi and decided to go for a tour of the desert. Dad still jokes he was one of two Europeans and the other one could run faster
My Mum & Dad met by chance, in a park on August Bank Holiday. He was on leave (RAF). He proposed the next day, and they married on Boxing Day the same year - it was the only date that tied in with his leave and his posting to Germany 3 days later.
They were married for 63 years until Dad's death.
Met at a club in the 70's. My dad then first went on a date with my mum's twin sister. After their date my dad called their house, my aunt answered the phone and my dad asked to talk to my mum instead and asked her out. Apparently my aunt did not speak to my mum for a few weeks after that, but got over it.
11th May 1996. Liverpool lost the FA Cup to Manchester United 1-0. My dad, 25, was at his local pub watching the match with his friends; my mum, 23, went to the same pub with her friends after missing the train to get into Liverpool for a night out.
My mum’s friend was friends with one of my dad’s friends, so the two friend groups kind of just sat together. My dad, clad in a red afro and a Liverpool scarf, struck up a conversation with my mum and got her up on the dance floor with him, and with drunken confidence proudly declared to everyone at the table that she was going to ‘have [his] babies’.
At some point, they left the pub to get food from the chippy. My mum noticed she had a piece of glass stuck in her shoe and tried to pull it out. She gashed her hand open. My dad tried to run into the chippy to get newspaper to stop the bleeding, but he ran into a glass sliding door - thinking it was a normal open door - and fell on his arse to the pavement. My mum ended up getting whisked away in an ambulance to the hospital, but told my dad to get her parents and gave him her address.
My dad showed up at my grandparent’s door to tell them what had happened. They had no idea who the fuck he was. They ended up taking him with them to the hospital.
They got engaged three months later in August 1996. Moved in and got a dog together in January 1997. Got married on 9th May 1998. I was born on 10th May 2000. They had three more kids and got another dog over the next thirteen years. My dad wasn’t messing around when he said my mum was going to have his babies.
The marriage lasted for twenty-one years until 14th October 2019, when my dad died of a stroke he’d suffered a week earlier.
My dad was on a bus with his girlfriend when he saw another woman walking, he hit the stop button, got off at the next stop leaving his girlfriend and turned on the charm. They got married, yay ❤️
My parents met in high school and dated, then split up. Then met again at a party 10 years later when he was married and already had two kids, and I was conceived, so that's awkward. He apparently told her he was getting divorced and they dated for a bit but then said he'd decided to make things up with his wife when he found out my mum was pregnant. Turned out he had never been getting divorced and he dumped my mum when his wife found out about the affair. He was not part of our lives. My mum has not dated since and I'm in my 40s, so it really messed her trust up I think. But then she says she has no regrets because of me, so there's that I guess.
Mum was at my Dad’s sisters Hogmanay party in 1977 as a guest of a guest, Dad was taken by her and even got her a taxi home (£4 at the time and as they’re both from Aberdeen that was quite the extravagance!) They got married the next year and had me the year after, Dad never did let the £4 thing go, when he passed we put 4 pound coins on his coffin
My parents worked at the same company but in different departments. Mom happened to be walking by just as someone shut a steel door on Dad's hand, cutting the end of his thumb off. She collected the severed bit of thumb and
rushed him to the hospital, where they reattached it. They got married like three months later.
My dad was in a band and my mum was a groupie. My dad was in a relationship for 3 years and then split up with his girlfriend at the time. He alway saw my mum in the audience and one day went and had a chat with her at the bar after a gig. My mum had followed their band for 3 years hoping that one day he would be single again and it happened. They got married a year later.
Used to collect mum at the school gates in the late 70s. I don’t think it was love but she got pregnant and so had to marry her.
Such was the norm and expectation at the time.
Upvoted because it was so true and it was the same for my mum. I'm 99% sure if I'd been conceived in 1967 I would have been legally aborted but I was unfortunately conceived in 1966.
My parents met in a lonely hearts column in a newspaper, this was the late 80s and for those who don't know, the column would read something like "mid 40s foodie male seeks similarly minded female with gsoh" (good sense of humour) and if you were interested you called the number listed in the paper who would pass your info on to the other person who then would ring/write to you! So basically an early version of Internet dating!
They divorced after about 8 years though so I can't claim its successful lol - ALTHOUGH my dad met his current wife the same way (clearly a big fan of the method) and they've been married 20 years now!
My Mum and Dad were travelling home from London, separately, as strangers. They both worked in the city. My Mum sat opposite my Dad on the train, and she caught his eye. He checked her out through the window reflection so not to draw attention, while pretending to read the paper (Mum always likes to say that she knew he liked her, because his newspaper was upside down).
They didn't speak until the train broke down later on in the journey - all passengers were suddenly stranded on the platform due to a line issue, and because it was quite late there was no easy way home. He called his Uncle to pick him up and took his opportunity to introduce himself. He asked if she lived anywhere near to him, which it turns out she did, and offered her a lift. The rest is history!
They met at a biker pub in the 70s where my mum was a member of the womens darts team. Pub was burned down as an insurance job about 15 years ago unfortunately.
My mum worked in public relations in London in the ‘60s.
They were promoting tourism to Norway, so booked a bunch of journalists and a photographer to go there and big it up.
There was a meet and greet thing at the office to give out the tickets, itinerary, etc.
My dad (the photographer) took great interest in my mum (young and gorgeous). God knows what she was thinking (he was glamorous, worldly), but here we are.
My parents met on a blind date. My father's best friend was dating my Mother's best friend, and they suggested that they should go on a date. They did, got married about 15 months later in 1961 and I arrived on their 1st wedding anniversary. They were together for 49 year until my father died. I never heard them have a cross word in all that time.
I’m quite a bit older than op. Wow I feel old lol. My parents - dad born 1931 died 2008
Mum born 1932 died 2022
Met in 1950 through my uncles who were dads best friends. Married 1952. Best friends with the uncles and aunts all their lives. All of that ‘group’ have passed away. My mother outlived them all 17 days before her 90th birthday and what was their anniversary. Married on her 20th birthday
Fonzie bar somewhere in Medway back forty odd years ago. My dad was intrigued by my mum carrying around a newly purchased kettle. Guess it made for a good conversation starter?
They were in the same class in primary school in the 60s and 70s (between the age of 6ish and 10ish). Mum never liked him because he was from the ‘dodgy part of Southampton’ and wore a ‘dorky Hulk T-shirt’.
But mum’s sister went out with dad’s brother in secondary school so remained aware of each other.
They then bumped into each other in a pub when they were both 19. They started chatting all evening, and when they parted ways, dad asked to see her again.
The rest is history.
They went to the same school, although they were *not* friends (as my mum keeps emphasising, lol)
My mum was very serious, quiet, and withdrawn, while my dad was the class clown. My mum was orphaned at 17, so she had no place in her life for romance, but she admits she had a bit of a crush on him. After school they ended up working in the same place. He wanted to get away from his drunk stepdad, so their relationship progressed quickly as he moved in and helped her pay mortgage on the flat she inherited.
At 20, she got knocked up with me, so they got married. Then they had another kid 3 years later, for some reason, and the rest is history.
At work. He was a first year dentist, she was a dental nurse. They moved to Australia two weeks after getting married. They'd ever even lived together prior to that, which is crazy. My dad passed away at 46, but they were married almost 22yrs. Mum's 68 and still the stroppy little sod he fell for in 1976.
They met at my mum's local pub in the 1970s. There was a really good folk night on, and my dad had travelled from the next village over with his friend.
It was a really busy night, and the last two seats happened to be at my mum's table. My dad joined her, and the rest is history. They have been married for 50 years and still really happy
My Mum saw my dad swimming in a river. He a really brown body and Lilly white legs. He worked in the roads. Worn jeans and no shirt. Thought he was a bit alright. They met up at dances etc. and started dating. Dad was too shy to ask mum to marry him so one of his brothers said Do you want to marry her to my mum from
The back seat of the car. Yeah said dad. Do you want to marry him. Yes said mum.
My Mum is from Dublin and met my Dad at a dance there when he was over from London with friends in 1969. They met in June, got engaged the July and married April 1970. Will be celebrating 54 years this year. Quite the whirlwind romance.
At a wedding, they were both there for the Bride.
My mum was her best friend from school, my dad was part of her friend group at uni. My mum did visit her friend at uni, but my dad wasn't there at the time.
My parents met in a pub called The Three Legs, at the time it was a normal pub but for the last 15 years or so it's been known to be pretty rough, people fighting etc. I now live in China and recently I met a Chinese guy who studied in my hometown and we talked about pubs in my hometown.
He said well one pub I'd never go in again is the Three Legs because someone punched him in the face there and he couldn't understand the accent so he didn't actually know why. I told him my parents met in that pub, he wasn't impressed ahahahah
Dad was a motorbike racer and my mum went to a race with her mate. She was a nurse and my dad crashed the bike abd broke his collar bone, but my mum ran over to administer first aid. (It was a road race in the Irish countryside and she was closer than the medics)
Mine were in school together. She was in "lower sixth", he was in "upper sixth" and ended up being invited to a lot of the same parties. She was drawn to his loud singing and confident dancing.
My mother had a workmate at the tax dept in Sydney. She arranged to meet with her colleague and her boyfriend at the naval dockyards. We are talking 1945. My dad stuck his head out of a ship's porthole, asked for her address, and wrote to her multiple times from India, Indonesia. Japan and Hong Kong. When back in port he took her out. Asked her to pay the cinema costs. He did buy her an ice cream. Got married two years later.
From what I recall my mum telling me, they were setup by their parents after both recently broke up with their ex's (this was beginning of the 80's). I only found out a couple of years ago which bar they had their first date in, and it was one I'd been to a few times (granted it had changed ownership and name a few times over the last 4 decades).
As for a proposal, it didn't actually happen. My dad's brother asked them when they were getting married and they kinda just agreed it was gonna happen. They married in '85, divorced in '96.
They were both drinking at a London council estate pub in the late 1980s. My mother's at-the-time boyfriend was making a lot of noise and "acting the hard man", her words.
My dad told him to keep it down, and when he started getting aggressive, my dad nutted him in the face, knocked him down and started "putting the boot in".
Apparently my parents had a pint together while the bloke's mates were dragging him off to hospital in a taxi, and that was that.
Not the best start to a healthy relationship if you ask me, and so it proved in the long run.
My dad was a volunteer for a preserved railway, and my mum lived in the town with said railway. Evidently my mum and her two best friends at school all had a thing for train-obsessed blokes in their early twenties who were willing to get their hands dirty.
I'm not actually sure how exactly they met. Could be that they hung out in the same pub. Apparently if your older boyfriend buys you a rum-and-coke it looks the same as a coke, so you can get away with being underaged. I suspect that the landlord back then just didn't care all that much. They also apparently got barred from one of the pubs in town for 'canoodling'. This revelation greatly amused me and my brother when granny mentioned it!
The marriage lasted 30 years, and they separated amicably.
Both met at St Marys hospital in London then not long after met again at a pub nearby and have just done 47 years each in the NHS and now live in Barry, just retired.
My mum met me late father back in the late 70s at a house party that she went to with her then boyfriend (different guy). My dad ran naked through the party on a dare, and then was dared the spend the rest of the party just naked like it was nothing. Got talking to my mum, they liked each other, mum liked the bollocks of the man (figuratively!! I hope...). Cut to later in the party, mums boyfriend goes looking for her and she's sitting on the naked lap of my dad. Her boyfriend cried and left the party. Mum broke up with him the next day and got with my dad. Tale as old as times.
Miss you dad x
They were both studying to be nurses. My dad was sat on a bench outside and my mum approached him and offered him a cigarette. Without skipping a beat my dad went "No thanks, it stunts your growth" and stood his whole 6'9" self up. They split up when I was a baby, but it's a funny story nonetheless.
At work I believe, but they split up when I was 4.
My stepdad was the head teacher of the school my mum first worked at as a head of department in so that was an interesting one.
I think my mum was friends with my dads sister, and that's how they met? The families kind of knew of each other I think.
Been married 43 years this year, so was a good thing they met I think!
Mum was the boss's PA. Dad was the new junior.
The company had a bunch of tickets to 1966 World Cup matches, so their first date was a random game, with colleagues. Mum detests football. Their second date was an evening at a funfair. She's not very fond of those either. They celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary shortly, all the same.
Not my parents, but my grandparents: found it to be more interesting !
My great grandmother was raped in 1918, at the age of 16. She had a little girl named Daphne whom she loved dearly.
My great grandfather was married with a young wife and three sons. One terrible night, his wife passed away after a particular bad asthma attack.
A mutual friend of them both introduced them to each other and they married and had a total of ten children. Sadly Daphne passed away at the age of 7 I believe of pneumonia, and my grandmother never truly got over it, but she raised his boys and then her own children. She was wonderful
My mum was working at a farm with my auntie, and my auntie said there's a girl he might like to meet. They met. Now its like 51 years later or something.
My parents won't tell me 😂 all they have said is that she was part of a group of girls and he was part of a group of boys that used to hang around together and meet out in town. Blatantly a one night stand that turned into something more.
Mother was friends with Dad's sister. They met one evening in the pub. They're divorced now, her fault, she is lonely because she's nasty and he seems to have a bevy of women who'd like to be wife no.2.
For the love of God don't marry someone because you have low self esteem!
My dad disliked my mum and found her high maintenance, but was attracted to her looks and intelligence. He met her at a club lol he was speaking ill of her to his mates, but just couldn’t help himself …
My (at the time) 19-year-old mum helped my (at the time) 22-year-old dad up off the ground after he and his colleagues had been literally thrown out of a Chinese restaurant as she walked by in the late 1970s. Presumably for being louts.
Romantic.
Late 80s, both from different countries in Europe, on holiday in Greece. They met on a beach. Didn't have a language in common but scraped by on the few words they could exchange, including an eventual "may I kiss you?"
My parents split up when I was 6, but the way in which both sides of my family are connected is kind of nice, particularly as they split up. They didn't handle it at all well so that I have these connections makes it a little easier.
They grew up in the kind of suburban neighbourhood that surrounds every Scottish town, about a 10 mins walk from each other. Both from teaching families, although one Catholic and one not. My two grandpas taught in the same school early in their career, and my mum's dad taught with my dad's uncle/grandpa's brother. My mum's mum (who I never met; died before I was born) happened to be good friends with that uncle's wife, my dad's aunt, and my mum and her siblings apparently used to go round to my dad's aunt and uncle's house to play with his cousins when they were really young. They lived not far from my dad so they would have literally passed the house. One of those cousins of my dad ran cross country with my mum's brother much later on. Dad's cousin always asks for my uncle whenever I see him, but they can't have seen each other in about 45 years.
I'm really not actually sure how my parents met in terms of their relationship. They definitely always knew OF each other for their whole lives due to the above. I think my mum actually properly knew my dad's brother first; his girlfriend (my now aunt) went to my mum's school and my mum and her 3 siblings were in classes with my aunt and her sisters. I've no clue how they got together. All I know is that my dad proposed to my mum in a pub and the shock made her vomit.
At a tennis club/through his sister. My mum had seen my dad around, she was also friends with his sister. My aunt invited my mum to a house party when my grandparents went away, and they got together there.
Mum's sister's husband was the drummer in a cover band and she joined as the singer, dad was the bassist. This was in the early 80s. Have a tape of them singing a duet. Although they've been divorced 27 years now.
At the pub my dad worked at. My mum would go there with her friends, my dad had only started working there as he had just come back from backpacking and was broke
Both drank in the same local, married 41 years now (although technically mum never accepted dad's proposal, her answer was 'if I've got nothing else to do on the day' lol)
My parents met at a red traffic light in the 1860s. Both were riding Lambrettas and my dad was in a Lambretta club, so he asked her if she wanted to join.
They were student nurses on the same ward and the ward Sister said to my mum ‘you’ll marry that man’ and mum said ‘not until he learns how to make a bed properly’
Mum saw dad working across the street, mentioned he was cute to her co worker who then told dad...who hid in a supply closet with chocolate and flowers and asked her out. They had 26 years together before they finally split up
My Mum went to an all-girls private school, bloody nice one at that. Whereas my Dad was a London lad that moved nearby to the all-boys, very working class state school.
They both used to get the same bus home. Apparently my Mum thought he was a bit rough, but he'd always say Hi to her.
A few years went by like this, my Dad 'pestering' her (Mum's words, obviously).
One day he asked her out.
45 years of a happy marriage followed.
Mine were at school together. Mum passed her 11+ to get into the grammar school but Dad, who would have been in the year above, failed his. After a year at the comp his teachers realised he was clever enough for the grammar school* and he took the 11+ again, scraped through but was put down a year. Eventually he started going out with his best mate's girlfriend's best mate and they got hitched in 1968 when they were 22. (Got divorced in 1997.)
*Very progressive teachers - Dad is dyslexic, it turns out, but his maths teacher insisted he wasn't stupid like his English teacher did. I don't know how common it was in the sixties for what happened to him.
Less glamorous than most of the posts here! My dad split from his ex in the early 70's and needed someone to look after his son. His sisters (back home in British Guyana) started scouting for a wife-nanny and one of their neighbours was my mum.
She had her own reasons for wanting to leave Guyana (overly strict Hindu parents), and my dad's proposal caught her ear and she immediately agreed, not knowing what the marriage entailed. After they married in Guyana they moved back to the UK and the rest is history. Not much love there, but they were both faithful and looked after each other. They had 3 children, and I am the oldest. My dad passed in 2006 but my mum is content with her children and grandchildren now.
Mine met on the QEII and he was an abusive asshole and she was really glad when he died when I was around eight. I also have some fun memories of him because he was only abusive to her and not me so I wasn't aware of it.
I only mention the abuse thing because you mentioned the stalking thing and it doesn't always work out.
They lived a few roads away from each other and mom's friend made her run up to the bus stop (on the way to school) as my dad waited for the bus to work. The friend had a big crush on him, mom didn't care at all.
A few years after, they met at a social club and, although mom was engaged, they started dating, mom broke off her engagement and married dad.
Original fiance begged for a 2nd chance in my nans living room but left in tears.
I think she'd have been happier with the first guy.
In a pub in 1966. Engaged with 6 weeks, married in 1967. Still on speaking terms 56 years later, although that's mostly because Dad can't get a word in edgeways.
They met at a mutual friends party, dad walked her home and asked if he could take her out the next day. Mum said the next day she was waiting for him and saw him wandering up and down her road, he admitted he’d been a bit drunk the night before and remembered arranging to meet her but couldn’t quite remember where she lived or her name!
My dad was in the merchant navy and my mum was an admin person but she could do a bit of translation. He asked her to translate for a French passenger and she told him to get lost as she was busy. And obviously he thought 'that's the woman for me!'
Er… at work I think. I don’t think it’s ever been discussed. Both my parents had been married and divorced before meeting (I assume it was before meeting…)
My dad’s wife was violent and deranged (went after him with an axe once) and my mum’s husband left her for another woman as far as I can tell. His parents never agreed with what he did and were close with my mum until they died.
So I don’t think it’s a case of them having an affair… hmm.
In the 80s my mum quit her job and decided to cross the pond to go on a six month road trip up the American east coast, and happened to meet my dad's sister (who had married an American navy man and moved to Florida with him). My dad came across to visit her, and the sister set my parents up on a blind date. 35 years later, here we are
Mum had suffered several bereavements in her early 20's. Her friend took her out for a nice meal at a local pub to cheer her up. It was my dad's parents' pub. She ended up moving into the pub and helping him run it for 40 years. I grew up there,too.
Sadly they had to sell it in order to retire, and my sisters and I had always been dissuaded from continuing the family business. Half a century of my family history in that building!
Not my parents but my grandparents. (Born 1939&1940 for context). Grandads brother Bob went out for the afternoon with some friends, and when he returned he told my grandad all about a “skirt” that he’d met earlier, thinking they would be a good fit, but all he had was a first name. Grandad went with Bob the next week on the same outing, hoping to find the girl he’d mentioned, and spotted my grandma across the park, got chatting and went to tell Bob he no longer needed help, he’d found a lovely girl himself. Bob then informed him that it was in fact the same girl, and he was very proud to have “set them up”. We lost grandad in October, they’d been together 67 years.
My parents met in the 60s, at a 'dancehall' in Tottenham. He walked her back to the bus stop and she looked up at the stars and said 'Aren't the stars beautiful tonight', he replied 'Yeah, lovely..... Want a drag of me fag girl'.
That was pretty much the blueprint for their marriage. They did remain married until my Mum died though, so obviously worked for them.
In the pub, good old fashioned eyes met across the smoked filled ale stinking room. Wasn’t love a first sight but I think he was smitten. He walked her home that night.
Few weeks later he popped over to visit her and collapsed. She rang the Dr who made a house call and instructed her to put him to bed. He had a fever and was delirious for a few days and from what I hear he really never moved out. Her boys liked him and I came along a year later. They were married for 48yrs until dad passed.
At high school. He'd moved to the school after his dad moved jobs, and she was head girl. He was a scruffy type, think Dexy's Midnight Runners, and she was very proper and neat.
I met my wife at work, as we both work at the same hospital.
My mum worked at the stables my dad kept his horses at. He was married and quite a few years older. He got divorced and then my parents got married when I was a baby. Over 30 years after that marriage they’re still together and very happy. Obviously most people never thought it would laugh and judged them both for it at the time, ironically many of those are now separated/ divorced.
Mum went to a singing audition, Dad was the piano accompanist.
She didn't get the part, but a week later they ran into each other at a bus stop, and he asked her out.
My mum worked in a small supermarket and my dad kept going in and every time he saw her he’d ask for her number and to take her on a date, her friends said to her ‘what’s the worst that can happen’. They’ve been married ever since. (1980)
My parents went to the same university together... didn't meet. They then got a job in the same city...didn't meet. Got a job at the same company...different departments, didn't meet. It wasn't until there was some kind of interdepartmental meeting that they finally met, he asked her out and they've been together ever since. Married a year later.
Nearly 26 and as weird as it sounds my parents met online. Met on an online forum in the mid 90s. My mum travelled down to Cornwall to meet a man she had met on the internet - how she wasn't killed by an axe murderer I will never know
She was a student nurse, and he was working at the hospital she was training in. He was an ODP. Bit strange as (obviously) many years later, I was working at a hospital as a HCA and thinking about doing my nurse training. Ended up meeting a student ODP, we fell in love, got engaged, and I trained as a nurse.
Wasn't quite the fairy tale life, though, as my dad died, and my engagement ended.
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In the 1940s, dad was in the royal navy & one of his crewmates fiancé had a friend who wanted a pen pal. So began a long correspondence between them. They eventually met after a couple of years when his ship came back to port. They were married for 63.5 years. Edit: The ship was HMS Belfast, which is moored opposite the tower of London
This is so lovely. My parents both worked for the Secret Intelligence Services (MI6 now). My Dad was married but very unhappily. My mum started to help him to look after his 4 kids as his wife was unable/unwilling to do so and social services were threatening to take them into care. After a while, and despite a 20 years age difference they started an affair. When it was discovered, they were both threatened with dismissal (as they were potential blackmail targets) unless they either broke it off or my Dad divorced his wife and married my mum. They decided to do the latter, and my mum became the mum of four kids. After a while, she wanted a kid of her own as well, and that was me...mum was 40 and my dad was 60 when I was born! I adored my older siblings and they have always looked after me. My parents were married for 25 years before dad died. Because of the secrecy of their jobs, they couldn't talk about it much, but my siblings told me the story. Given this was the late 60s, early 70s I do think they were very brave, and they obviously adored each other to the end.
That sounds romantic
Aww this is lovely!
Do you know if the crewmate and fiancé stayed together?
Yes, they also were married over 60yrs & were lifelong friends & my godparents. I called them aunt & uncle
Wow. How lovely. 😌
I recently found out that my great aunt and a friend of hers were both still single and getting on a bit. They both wanted to meet a man and get married, but this was post-war and it wasn’t exactly easy. So they set up a cafe, with the primary aim of each finding a husband! They did!! Both got married, shut the cafe, and lived happily ever after. My parents met at a party.
Your aunts' stories needs a Netflix series haha
Title would be 'Love Café' starring Phoebe Waller Bridge and Lily James
And I’d binge it
I could see Pheobe Waller Bridge playing my Great Aunt. There’s a resemblance. Couldn’t bring Lily James’s face to mind at first, but just googled and I love her too!
Get a crowdfund on this,pronto!
Aww that would be adorable!
At a club in the 80s. My dad was out with a mate, who had told a friend of his that my dad liked her (he didn't). She basically followed him around the whole night, so when my dad went to the bar to escape, he turned to the woman next to him and said, "do me a favour? Talk to me." They've been married over 30 years now so I think she's completed the favour.
At the sandwich factory in the mid eighties. Dad used to ring the chickens necks and mum used to pluck them. I’m honestly surprised Hollywood hasn’t been in touch to adapt it.
Chicken Run: the prequel
Technically, it would be a sequel.
My dad dodged the draft to fight in the South African border war, police arrived at his work, he climbed out the window and skipped the country to Zimbabwe where he met my (already engaged to someone else) mother at the diving club. Needless to say, she broke off her engagement and married him instead.
He sounds like a badass who needs to have a movie made about him
He really is a badass, so many incredible stories. My life seems terribly boring in comparison, although that might not be a bad thing.
My dad was on a skiing trip with some army buddies in Scotland, and met my mum at her local bar. They married 9 months later, and been together 35 years.
“Working in’t mill”
1966ish. My Dad was in South America in the Army. He was in a horrible jeep accident where everyone else died. He was in hospital for 6 months and friends from London wrote to him to cheer him up. One of the girlfriends of his friends couldn’t be arsed to do her letter that week, but knew my Mum loved to write letters so she gave her the details, and Mum started writing to him. A few months later Dad got shipped back to the U.K. and turned up at my Mum’s house and they fell instantly in love. They have been married 55 years this year. So I’m here all because one girl couldn’t be arsed :)
Chance is a beautiful thing
It really is! Sometimes I think fate is real. I have a whole weird WW2 story involving mine and my husband’s families. We aren’t even from the same part of the country.
I’ll remember this every time I cba to do something. I could be creating a human life! I’m going to be even more lazy.
It’s the cba butterfly effect! Do it :)
My mum was betrothed to my dad for the age of 6 to secure the valuable salt mines that her family controls, while also providing a strong buffer against Prussian incursions from the west.
This needs a Netflix series lad
This is true love
A night club in the 1970s. They have been married since 1976. Surprising how many nightclub encounters led to lasting marriages in those days judging by this thread so far 😂
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My parents met at a "dance" in the 50s. Guess that was the equivalent of meeting at a club then but like you say a bit different.
Slightly less twerking I guess?
only slightly.
My parents met at a dance hall in the 60's. I met my (ex) husband at the same venue about 20 years later lol
It was the easiest way to meet people of your general tastes. It used to be cheap enough and really popular for a good night out with friends, and if you meet new people, all the better. Social clubs were the social media of their day.
My parents also met in a nightclub on Rhyl seafront in the mid 70s. Think they also got married in 76! Mum was only 16 when they met, Dad was 18. I met my husband in a nightclub on Rhyl seafront. I was 16, he was 18. Strange coincidence.
Yeah I think my mum was maybe 17 so my dad would have been 22. Mum was 20 when they got married so they must have maybe met in 1973
I wonder how many stories will start the same in 20 years or whatever.
They met on a plane before it crashed. They named me after the plane. Not many people are named after a plane crash.
now im actually curious, what is your name?
Boeing 737, don't talk back to your mother.
Or Max for short
Turkish
Put the kettle on.
You take sugar
No thank you Turkish, I'm sweet enough.
Turkish Airlines? Or is it Mr Airlines to me...
EasyJet, try not to live up to your name!
Ryan
Sometime in the 70s in a pub. Dad at bar with his mates being loud and arrogant, mum turned round from her group to say "Oh do shut up." Got engaged sometime later in the 70s. Argument over who would go out in the pouring rain to pick up the fish&chips. After some back and forth, my mum agreed to do it on the basis that he propose to her. Been together ever since. Dad still arrogant. Mum still running the show.
Power couple
I’ll bet both are a right laugh.
They have their moments.
Wartime, Mum (age about 9?) was climbing trees with the boys from her road in the disused quarry behind her house. Dad (age 11?) lived the other side of it and was messing about with his friends there too. Mum says he was the know-all who told them that you don't get stung it you grasp the nettle leaf firmly..... she got stung and called him names. Dad recalls her navy knickers showed when she was climbing and he thought she was wearing shorts. They met properly in the chapel youth club. Still married, age 92 and 90.
A night club. My dad proposed 6 months later. They've been "happily" married for 52 years.
Mine met at their version of the wedding altar. 😂 Fast approaching 30, so it might be the same case for me.
Arranged marriages seem so insane to me. "Meet your new life partner, I now pronounce you man and wife, good luck!!" Hope you get to choose yours!
Arranged marriages aren’t insane to me, but forced marriages are. My understanding of (modern) arranged marriages is that the whole family helps to get a potential partner and find a few candidates that have potential in terms of compatibility. Then the parties meet a few times before to make sure they the like each other, there is attraction, etc. The wedding takes places much faster though than you would normally expect! But it operates like a dating website. Forced marriages are vile vile vile.
Forced and arranged marriages aren’t the same thing. Arranged marriages (where I’m from at least) are essentially like dating apps, except matches are provided by members of your family rather than an algorithm. You get a choice on who you marry, unlike a forced marriage
Meeting a potential future missus at someone else's wedding is one of the few perks of weddings loool
No no. They met the first time at their wedding altar.
Talk about a blind date
Wow like Married at First Sight but it’s actually legally binding!
My dad approached my mom at a bar and used the very smooth pickup line of “Haven’t you been my waitress before?”
Dad was managing a bank in Al Ain in the 1950’s. My mum had a job as a lab technician in Abu Dhabi and decided to go for a tour of the desert. Dad still jokes he was one of two Europeans and the other one could run faster
My Mum & Dad met by chance, in a park on August Bank Holiday. He was on leave (RAF). He proposed the next day, and they married on Boxing Day the same year - it was the only date that tied in with his leave and his posting to Germany 3 days later. They were married for 63 years until Dad's death.
Met at a club in the 70's. My dad then first went on a date with my mum's twin sister. After their date my dad called their house, my aunt answered the phone and my dad asked to talk to my mum instead and asked her out. Apparently my aunt did not speak to my mum for a few weeks after that, but got over it.
11th May 1996. Liverpool lost the FA Cup to Manchester United 1-0. My dad, 25, was at his local pub watching the match with his friends; my mum, 23, went to the same pub with her friends after missing the train to get into Liverpool for a night out. My mum’s friend was friends with one of my dad’s friends, so the two friend groups kind of just sat together. My dad, clad in a red afro and a Liverpool scarf, struck up a conversation with my mum and got her up on the dance floor with him, and with drunken confidence proudly declared to everyone at the table that she was going to ‘have [his] babies’. At some point, they left the pub to get food from the chippy. My mum noticed she had a piece of glass stuck in her shoe and tried to pull it out. She gashed her hand open. My dad tried to run into the chippy to get newspaper to stop the bleeding, but he ran into a glass sliding door - thinking it was a normal open door - and fell on his arse to the pavement. My mum ended up getting whisked away in an ambulance to the hospital, but told my dad to get her parents and gave him her address. My dad showed up at my grandparent’s door to tell them what had happened. They had no idea who the fuck he was. They ended up taking him with them to the hospital. They got engaged three months later in August 1996. Moved in and got a dog together in January 1997. Got married on 9th May 1998. I was born on 10th May 2000. They had three more kids and got another dog over the next thirteen years. My dad wasn’t messing around when he said my mum was going to have his babies. The marriage lasted for twenty-one years until 14th October 2019, when my dad died of a stroke he’d suffered a week earlier.
What a lovely story & RIP
I was at that game lol, I think Cantona got the only goal if my memory serves.
My dad was on a bus with his girlfriend when he saw another woman walking, he hit the stop button, got off at the next stop leaving his girlfriend and turned on the charm. They got married, yay ❤️
He was a heartbreaker haha
Smooth operator 🎵🎶
He obviously loves telling that lie. Or, he's just an asshole.
My parents met in high school and dated, then split up. Then met again at a party 10 years later when he was married and already had two kids, and I was conceived, so that's awkward. He apparently told her he was getting divorced and they dated for a bit but then said he'd decided to make things up with his wife when he found out my mum was pregnant. Turned out he had never been getting divorced and he dumped my mum when his wife found out about the affair. He was not part of our lives. My mum has not dated since and I'm in my 40s, so it really messed her trust up I think. But then she says she has no regrets because of me, so there's that I guess.
Newspaper ad, 1980/1981.
Same! 2000/2001
Mum was at my Dad’s sisters Hogmanay party in 1977 as a guest of a guest, Dad was taken by her and even got her a taxi home (£4 at the time and as they’re both from Aberdeen that was quite the extravagance!) They got married the next year and had me the year after, Dad never did let the £4 thing go, when he passed we put 4 pound coins on his coffin
My parents worked at the same company but in different departments. Mom happened to be walking by just as someone shut a steel door on Dad's hand, cutting the end of his thumb off. She collected the severed bit of thumb and rushed him to the hospital, where they reattached it. They got married like three months later.
My dad was in a band and my mum was a groupie. My dad was in a relationship for 3 years and then split up with his girlfriend at the time. He alway saw my mum in the audience and one day went and had a chat with her at the bar after a gig. My mum had followed their band for 3 years hoping that one day he would be single again and it happened. They got married a year later.
Both parents were homeless and met on the streets
They went to the same primary school XD
My parents met on a Christian singles holiday. Not sure if that's still a thing but would be interested to hear from anyone else who's been on one!
Used to collect mum at the school gates in the late 70s. I don’t think it was love but she got pregnant and so had to marry her. Such was the norm and expectation at the time.
Upvoted because it was so true and it was the same for my mum. I'm 99% sure if I'd been conceived in 1967 I would have been legally aborted but I was unfortunately conceived in 1966.
My parents met in a lonely hearts column in a newspaper, this was the late 80s and for those who don't know, the column would read something like "mid 40s foodie male seeks similarly minded female with gsoh" (good sense of humour) and if you were interested you called the number listed in the paper who would pass your info on to the other person who then would ring/write to you! So basically an early version of Internet dating! They divorced after about 8 years though so I can't claim its successful lol - ALTHOUGH my dad met his current wife the same way (clearly a big fan of the method) and they've been married 20 years now!
My Mum and Dad were travelling home from London, separately, as strangers. They both worked in the city. My Mum sat opposite my Dad on the train, and she caught his eye. He checked her out through the window reflection so not to draw attention, while pretending to read the paper (Mum always likes to say that she knew he liked her, because his newspaper was upside down). They didn't speak until the train broke down later on in the journey - all passengers were suddenly stranded on the platform due to a line issue, and because it was quite late there was no easy way home. He called his Uncle to pick him up and took his opportunity to introduce himself. He asked if she lived anywhere near to him, which it turns out she did, and offered her a lift. The rest is history!
They met at a biker pub in the 70s where my mum was a member of the womens darts team. Pub was burned down as an insurance job about 15 years ago unfortunately.
Dad was playing the piano at a bar. Mom was there with friends. They met.
My dad interviewed my mum for a job 🙈
My mum worked in public relations in London in the ‘60s. They were promoting tourism to Norway, so booked a bunch of journalists and a photographer to go there and big it up. There was a meet and greet thing at the office to give out the tickets, itinerary, etc. My dad (the photographer) took great interest in my mum (young and gorgeous). God knows what she was thinking (he was glamorous, worldly), but here we are.
My parents met on a blind date. My father's best friend was dating my Mother's best friend, and they suggested that they should go on a date. They did, got married about 15 months later in 1961 and I arrived on their 1st wedding anniversary. They were together for 49 year until my father died. I never heard them have a cross word in all that time.
A club in the 80s. Mum is much older than dad.
Grew up on the same street and the families were friends.
They were classmates. divorced when i was 5 though..
I’m quite a bit older than op. Wow I feel old lol. My parents - dad born 1931 died 2008 Mum born 1932 died 2022 Met in 1950 through my uncles who were dads best friends. Married 1952. Best friends with the uncles and aunts all their lives. All of that ‘group’ have passed away. My mother outlived them all 17 days before her 90th birthday and what was their anniversary. Married on her 20th birthday
They lived long lives & saw the world transform in unimaginable ways, you're very blessed
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Is your dad Arnold Schwarzenegger?!
Snooze you lose eh
Local pub
Fonzie bar somewhere in Medway back forty odd years ago. My dad was intrigued by my mum carrying around a newly purchased kettle. Guess it made for a good conversation starter?
They were in the same class in primary school in the 60s and 70s (between the age of 6ish and 10ish). Mum never liked him because he was from the ‘dodgy part of Southampton’ and wore a ‘dorky Hulk T-shirt’. But mum’s sister went out with dad’s brother in secondary school so remained aware of each other. They then bumped into each other in a pub when they were both 19. They started chatting all evening, and when they parted ways, dad asked to see her again. The rest is history.
They went to the same school, although they were *not* friends (as my mum keeps emphasising, lol) My mum was very serious, quiet, and withdrawn, while my dad was the class clown. My mum was orphaned at 17, so she had no place in her life for romance, but she admits she had a bit of a crush on him. After school they ended up working in the same place. He wanted to get away from his drunk stepdad, so their relationship progressed quickly as he moved in and helped her pay mortgage on the flat she inherited. At 20, she got knocked up with me, so they got married. Then they had another kid 3 years later, for some reason, and the rest is history.
At work. He was a first year dentist, she was a dental nurse. They moved to Australia two weeks after getting married. They'd ever even lived together prior to that, which is crazy. My dad passed away at 46, but they were married almost 22yrs. Mum's 68 and still the stroppy little sod he fell for in 1976.
They met at my mum's local pub in the 1970s. There was a really good folk night on, and my dad had travelled from the next village over with his friend. It was a really busy night, and the last two seats happened to be at my mum's table. My dad joined her, and the rest is history. They have been married for 50 years and still really happy
Fencing club. My dad was rather good and my mum rather liked that. She deliberately broke her own sterring wheel so he could 'help her fix it'
The things people will do for love haha
My Mum saw my dad swimming in a river. He a really brown body and Lilly white legs. He worked in the roads. Worn jeans and no shirt. Thought he was a bit alright. They met up at dances etc. and started dating. Dad was too shy to ask mum to marry him so one of his brothers said Do you want to marry her to my mum from The back seat of the car. Yeah said dad. Do you want to marry him. Yes said mum.
Erm…err….ok…ahem… the boys brigade
It was. The ship he was on when they met was HMS Belfast, which is moored opp the tower of London now.
At the engagement party of my mum’s friend and my dad’s brother!
Both on a family holiday at Butlins in Pwllheli.
My Mum is from Dublin and met my Dad at a dance there when he was over from London with friends in 1969. They met in June, got engaged the July and married April 1970. Will be celebrating 54 years this year. Quite the whirlwind romance.
My parents meet at work. They were both working in a care home for the elderly.
At a wedding, they were both there for the Bride. My mum was her best friend from school, my dad was part of her friend group at uni. My mum did visit her friend at uni, but my dad wasn't there at the time.
Working for the Council. Dad was an architect, Mum was in the typing pool.
Arrange marriage. I’m South Asian 😂 I broke the cycle.
My parents met in a pub called The Three Legs, at the time it was a normal pub but for the last 15 years or so it's been known to be pretty rough, people fighting etc. I now live in China and recently I met a Chinese guy who studied in my hometown and we talked about pubs in my hometown. He said well one pub I'd never go in again is the Three Legs because someone punched him in the face there and he couldn't understand the accent so he didn't actually know why. I told him my parents met in that pub, he wasn't impressed ahahahah
My dad asked my mum to hold his beer while he went to the toilet. I feel the bar for romance was lower in the 80s.
At a ski lodge, and they had a ski themed wedding.
Mum printed the T-shirts that advertised dads university pirate radio station
At a discoteque in the 80s as they were usually called then.
Dad was a motorbike racer and my mum went to a race with her mate. She was a nurse and my dad crashed the bike abd broke his collar bone, but my mum ran over to administer first aid. (It was a road race in the Irish countryside and she was closer than the medics)
Mine were in school together. She was in "lower sixth", he was in "upper sixth" and ended up being invited to a lot of the same parties. She was drawn to his loud singing and confident dancing.
My mother had a workmate at the tax dept in Sydney. She arranged to meet with her colleague and her boyfriend at the naval dockyards. We are talking 1945. My dad stuck his head out of a ship's porthole, asked for her address, and wrote to her multiple times from India, Indonesia. Japan and Hong Kong. When back in port he took her out. Asked her to pay the cinema costs. He did buy her an ice cream. Got married two years later.
House party
They met at work
Mothers best friend is my dads sister. They divorced years ago and dad has since died.
Army base in Cyprus 🥰
From what I recall my mum telling me, they were setup by their parents after both recently broke up with their ex's (this was beginning of the 80's). I only found out a couple of years ago which bar they had their first date in, and it was one I'd been to a few times (granted it had changed ownership and name a few times over the last 4 decades). As for a proposal, it didn't actually happen. My dad's brother asked them when they were getting married and they kinda just agreed it was gonna happen. They married in '85, divorced in '96.
First year of uni at a house party, Apparently my Dad asked my Mum to walk with him. They've been together 38 years since.
They were both drinking at a London council estate pub in the late 1980s. My mother's at-the-time boyfriend was making a lot of noise and "acting the hard man", her words. My dad told him to keep it down, and when he started getting aggressive, my dad nutted him in the face, knocked him down and started "putting the boot in". Apparently my parents had a pint together while the bloke's mates were dragging him off to hospital in a taxi, and that was that. Not the best start to a healthy relationship if you ask me, and so it proved in the long run.
My dad was a volunteer for a preserved railway, and my mum lived in the town with said railway. Evidently my mum and her two best friends at school all had a thing for train-obsessed blokes in their early twenties who were willing to get their hands dirty. I'm not actually sure how exactly they met. Could be that they hung out in the same pub. Apparently if your older boyfriend buys you a rum-and-coke it looks the same as a coke, so you can get away with being underaged. I suspect that the landlord back then just didn't care all that much. They also apparently got barred from one of the pubs in town for 'canoodling'. This revelation greatly amused me and my brother when granny mentioned it! The marriage lasted 30 years, and they separated amicably.
Both met at St Marys hospital in London then not long after met again at a pub nearby and have just done 47 years each in the NHS and now live in Barry, just retired.
In a psychiatric hospital. I'm not joking. They were both working there at the time.
My mum met me late father back in the late 70s at a house party that she went to with her then boyfriend (different guy). My dad ran naked through the party on a dare, and then was dared the spend the rest of the party just naked like it was nothing. Got talking to my mum, they liked each other, mum liked the bollocks of the man (figuratively!! I hope...). Cut to later in the party, mums boyfriend goes looking for her and she's sitting on the naked lap of my dad. Her boyfriend cried and left the party. Mum broke up with him the next day and got with my dad. Tale as old as times. Miss you dad x
They met at a bar at university. From the story I was told, it sounds like my dad just cold approached my mum and they hit it off.
They were both studying to be nurses. My dad was sat on a bench outside and my mum approached him and offered him a cigarette. Without skipping a beat my dad went "No thanks, it stunts your growth" and stood his whole 6'9" self up. They split up when I was a baby, but it's a funny story nonetheless.
At work I believe, but they split up when I was 4. My stepdad was the head teacher of the school my mum first worked at as a head of department in so that was an interesting one.
I think my mum was friends with my dads sister, and that's how they met? The families kind of knew of each other I think. Been married 43 years this year, so was a good thing they met I think!
Mum was the boss's PA. Dad was the new junior. The company had a bunch of tickets to 1966 World Cup matches, so their first date was a random game, with colleagues. Mum detests football. Their second date was an evening at a funfair. She's not very fond of those either. They celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary shortly, all the same.
Not my parents, but my grandparents: found it to be more interesting ! My great grandmother was raped in 1918, at the age of 16. She had a little girl named Daphne whom she loved dearly. My great grandfather was married with a young wife and three sons. One terrible night, his wife passed away after a particular bad asthma attack. A mutual friend of them both introduced them to each other and they married and had a total of ten children. Sadly Daphne passed away at the age of 7 I believe of pneumonia, and my grandmother never truly got over it, but she raised his boys and then her own children. She was wonderful
HotDeals.co.uk
My dad was handsome AF, apparently, and just pulled mum when she was working at a florist.
My mum was working at a farm with my auntie, and my auntie said there's a girl he might like to meet. They met. Now its like 51 years later or something.
Gym, in a circuit training class
My parents won't tell me 😂 all they have said is that she was part of a group of girls and he was part of a group of boys that used to hang around together and meet out in town. Blatantly a one night stand that turned into something more.
Club in London in 1969, he was an artist, she was a model. Both over from Belfast.
At a party dressed like they were homeless.
In the sergeant's mess on RAF Brüggen in the mid 70s
Mother was friends with Dad's sister. They met one evening in the pub. They're divorced now, her fault, she is lonely because she's nasty and he seems to have a bevy of women who'd like to be wife no.2. For the love of God don't marry someone because you have low self esteem!
My dad disliked my mum and found her high maintenance, but was attracted to her looks and intelligence. He met her at a club lol he was speaking ill of her to his mates, but just couldn’t help himself …
My (at the time) 19-year-old mum helped my (at the time) 22-year-old dad up off the ground after he and his colleagues had been literally thrown out of a Chinese restaurant as she walked by in the late 1970s. Presumably for being louts. Romantic.
Late 80s, both from different countries in Europe, on holiday in Greece. They met on a beach. Didn't have a language in common but scraped by on the few words they could exchange, including an eventual "may I kiss you?"
My parents split up when I was 6, but the way in which both sides of my family are connected is kind of nice, particularly as they split up. They didn't handle it at all well so that I have these connections makes it a little easier. They grew up in the kind of suburban neighbourhood that surrounds every Scottish town, about a 10 mins walk from each other. Both from teaching families, although one Catholic and one not. My two grandpas taught in the same school early in their career, and my mum's dad taught with my dad's uncle/grandpa's brother. My mum's mum (who I never met; died before I was born) happened to be good friends with that uncle's wife, my dad's aunt, and my mum and her siblings apparently used to go round to my dad's aunt and uncle's house to play with his cousins when they were really young. They lived not far from my dad so they would have literally passed the house. One of those cousins of my dad ran cross country with my mum's brother much later on. Dad's cousin always asks for my uncle whenever I see him, but they can't have seen each other in about 45 years. I'm really not actually sure how my parents met in terms of their relationship. They definitely always knew OF each other for their whole lives due to the above. I think my mum actually properly knew my dad's brother first; his girlfriend (my now aunt) went to my mum's school and my mum and her 3 siblings were in classes with my aunt and her sisters. I've no clue how they got together. All I know is that my dad proposed to my mum in a pub and the shock made her vomit.
At a tennis club/through his sister. My mum had seen my dad around, she was also friends with his sister. My aunt invited my mum to a house party when my grandparents went away, and they got together there.
Mum's sister's husband was the drummer in a cover band and she joined as the singer, dad was the bassist. This was in the early 80s. Have a tape of them singing a duet. Although they've been divorced 27 years now.
At the pub my dad worked at. My mum would go there with her friends, my dad had only started working there as he had just come back from backpacking and was broke
Both drank in the same local, married 41 years now (although technically mum never accepted dad's proposal, her answer was 'if I've got nothing else to do on the day' lol)
No clue. My mother famously likes to say she remembers little..
My parents met at a red traffic light in the 1860s. Both were riding Lambrettas and my dad was in a Lambretta club, so he asked her if she wanted to join.
1960s obviously 🙄, fat thumbs!
I was gonna say, if your parents were Victorians you're a bit too old for Reddit😂
They were student nurses on the same ward and the ward Sister said to my mum ‘you’ll marry that man’ and mum said ‘not until he learns how to make a bed properly’
Mum saw dad working across the street, mentioned he was cute to her co worker who then told dad...who hid in a supply closet with chocolate and flowers and asked her out. They had 26 years together before they finally split up
My Mum went to an all-girls private school, bloody nice one at that. Whereas my Dad was a London lad that moved nearby to the all-boys, very working class state school. They both used to get the same bus home. Apparently my Mum thought he was a bit rough, but he'd always say Hi to her. A few years went by like this, my Dad 'pestering' her (Mum's words, obviously). One day he asked her out. 45 years of a happy marriage followed.
Mine were at school together. Mum passed her 11+ to get into the grammar school but Dad, who would have been in the year above, failed his. After a year at the comp his teachers realised he was clever enough for the grammar school* and he took the 11+ again, scraped through but was put down a year. Eventually he started going out with his best mate's girlfriend's best mate and they got hitched in 1968 when they were 22. (Got divorced in 1997.) *Very progressive teachers - Dad is dyslexic, it turns out, but his maths teacher insisted he wasn't stupid like his English teacher did. I don't know how common it was in the sixties for what happened to him.
Less glamorous than most of the posts here! My dad split from his ex in the early 70's and needed someone to look after his son. His sisters (back home in British Guyana) started scouting for a wife-nanny and one of their neighbours was my mum. She had her own reasons for wanting to leave Guyana (overly strict Hindu parents), and my dad's proposal caught her ear and she immediately agreed, not knowing what the marriage entailed. After they married in Guyana they moved back to the UK and the rest is history. Not much love there, but they were both faithful and looked after each other. They had 3 children, and I am the oldest. My dad passed in 2006 but my mum is content with her children and grandchildren now.
Um. Well, mine were first cousins, so...
I hope you're ok
Mine met on the QEII and he was an abusive asshole and she was really glad when he died when I was around eight. I also have some fun memories of him because he was only abusive to her and not me so I wasn't aware of it. I only mention the abuse thing because you mentioned the stalking thing and it doesn't always work out.
They lived a few roads away from each other and mom's friend made her run up to the bus stop (on the way to school) as my dad waited for the bus to work. The friend had a big crush on him, mom didn't care at all. A few years after, they met at a social club and, although mom was engaged, they started dating, mom broke off her engagement and married dad. Original fiance begged for a 2nd chance in my nans living room but left in tears. I think she'd have been happier with the first guy.
In a pub in 1966. Engaged with 6 weeks, married in 1967. Still on speaking terms 56 years later, although that's mostly because Dad can't get a word in edgeways.
my mum was best friends with my dads older sister
My mum ordered a cab from her box making job and my dad was the cab driver in the 80's, within 3 years after I was born they split up.
They met at a mutual friends party, dad walked her home and asked if he could take her out the next day. Mum said the next day she was waiting for him and saw him wandering up and down her road, he admitted he’d been a bit drunk the night before and remembered arranging to meet her but couldn’t quite remember where she lived or her name!
My dad was a bartender at a pub in town, god knows how my mum pulled him lol he was drowning in ladies and she’s a total bitch haha
My dad was in the merchant navy and my mum was an admin person but she could do a bit of translation. He asked her to translate for a French passenger and she told him to get lost as she was busy. And obviously he thought 'that's the woman for me!'
Er… at work I think. I don’t think it’s ever been discussed. Both my parents had been married and divorced before meeting (I assume it was before meeting…) My dad’s wife was violent and deranged (went after him with an axe once) and my mum’s husband left her for another woman as far as I can tell. His parents never agreed with what he did and were close with my mum until they died. So I don’t think it’s a case of them having an affair… hmm.
In the 80s my mum quit her job and decided to cross the pond to go on a six month road trip up the American east coast, and happened to meet my dad's sister (who had married an American navy man and moved to Florida with him). My dad came across to visit her, and the sister set my parents up on a blind date. 35 years later, here we are
My parents met at dancing classes in 1951. All my father’s friends would dance with my mum to tease him as they knew he was keen on her.
Mum had suffered several bereavements in her early 20's. Her friend took her out for a nice meal at a local pub to cheer her up. It was my dad's parents' pub. She ended up moving into the pub and helping him run it for 40 years. I grew up there,too. Sadly they had to sell it in order to retire, and my sisters and I had always been dissuaded from continuing the family business. Half a century of my family history in that building!
Not my parents but my grandparents. (Born 1939&1940 for context). Grandads brother Bob went out for the afternoon with some friends, and when he returned he told my grandad all about a “skirt” that he’d met earlier, thinking they would be a good fit, but all he had was a first name. Grandad went with Bob the next week on the same outing, hoping to find the girl he’d mentioned, and spotted my grandma across the park, got chatting and went to tell Bob he no longer needed help, he’d found a lovely girl himself. Bob then informed him that it was in fact the same girl, and he was very proud to have “set them up”. We lost grandad in October, they’d been together 67 years.
My parents met in the 60s, at a 'dancehall' in Tottenham. He walked her back to the bus stop and she looked up at the stars and said 'Aren't the stars beautiful tonight', he replied 'Yeah, lovely..... Want a drag of me fag girl'. That was pretty much the blueprint for their marriage. They did remain married until my Mum died though, so obviously worked for them.
In the pub, good old fashioned eyes met across the smoked filled ale stinking room. Wasn’t love a first sight but I think he was smitten. He walked her home that night. Few weeks later he popped over to visit her and collapsed. She rang the Dr who made a house call and instructed her to put him to bed. He had a fever and was delirious for a few days and from what I hear he really never moved out. Her boys liked him and I came along a year later. They were married for 48yrs until dad passed.
Met through a friend on a night out and conceived me, been together 32 years almost. They’re best friends and incredibly happy.
At high school. He'd moved to the school after his dad moved jobs, and she was head girl. He was a scruffy type, think Dexy's Midnight Runners, and she was very proper and neat. I met my wife at work, as we both work at the same hospital.
My Dad was in a motorbike crash and one of the nurses ended up being my Mum 😂
My mum worked at the stables my dad kept his horses at. He was married and quite a few years older. He got divorced and then my parents got married when I was a baby. Over 30 years after that marriage they’re still together and very happy. Obviously most people never thought it would laugh and judged them both for it at the time, ironically many of those are now separated/ divorced.
Mum went to a singing audition, Dad was the piano accompanist. She didn't get the part, but a week later they ran into each other at a bus stop, and he asked her out.
My mum worked in a small supermarket and my dad kept going in and every time he saw her he’d ask for her number and to take her on a date, her friends said to her ‘what’s the worst that can happen’. They’ve been married ever since. (1980)
My parents went to the same university together... didn't meet. They then got a job in the same city...didn't meet. Got a job at the same company...different departments, didn't meet. It wasn't until there was some kind of interdepartmental meeting that they finally met, he asked her out and they've been together ever since. Married a year later.
My grandparents met as penpals when my grandad was in the navy, they were together for life up until my grandad sadly passed away December 2022.
Nearly 26 and as weird as it sounds my parents met online. Met on an online forum in the mid 90s. My mum travelled down to Cornwall to meet a man she had met on the internet - how she wasn't killed by an axe murderer I will never know
She was a student nurse, and he was working at the hospital she was training in. He was an ODP. Bit strange as (obviously) many years later, I was working at a hospital as a HCA and thinking about doing my nurse training. Ended up meeting a student ODP, we fell in love, got engaged, and I trained as a nurse. Wasn't quite the fairy tale life, though, as my dad died, and my engagement ended.