7/29/2019 Memorable Valentines

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In my previous lie (w hen I was in the Met) one Valentines Day, I

ound this coded message in my tray at work. Not being the best

detective, it took me ages and ages to work it out, eventually

discovering that it read WHEN R U GOING 2 TAKE ME OUT PLEASE.

That in itsel isnt so remarkable, and certainly not gushing with

romanticism; but who had sent it???

Despite my best eorts, I couldnt work out who had let the

message there, and no one owned up. Eventually, the coded

request was orgotten.

About 4-5 months later, I had my annual review coming u p. This

was a meeting with my two senior ocers, the Team Inspector and

Reporting Sergeant. The meeting went well enough, I was getting

my paperwork done okay, my arrest rates were good, Id completed

a ew courses and had a successul Proactive Team attachment...

however, it was the comments made o recordat the end o the

meeting that I have never orgotten:

And fnally, Sinad, said my Inspector, Thank you or not

making a big deal out o the message let in your tray. It showed

a real level o maturity. What message?!?came my response.

I genuinely had orgotten. The coded message Sgt ---- (my

reporting sergeant, also at the meeting) let in your tray. He was

going through a dicult period with his wie at the time, and you

were absolutely right to ignore it. He was reprimanded over it. I

was absolutely stunned... but my poor Sgt was mortifed that it

had been mentioned again!

Bloody men, eh??? Trying his luck w ith a young probationer behind

his wies back!?!Sinead Tierney

Making shoebox mailboxesin elementary school everyyear, preparing the tiny little Valentine greetings thatmum would buy in packages o 40, delivering them, thenspending time in class opening and appreciating the onesyoud received. That giddy eeling when you got one romyour crush. Kathleen Mader

My most memorable Valentines Day was in my early twenties. Ater being dumped, by who I thought was the love o my lie, Ibegan going out and meeting people but never really met anyone worth a second date. That was, until January 25th. I met TWO

lovely guys. I dated them both, but it was all very casual. Then on Valentines Day I received a bunch o red roses at work! But who

were they rom? I knew that I wasnt seeing (lets call them guy 1 and guy 2) guy 1 that night, but guy 2 was driving 60 miles to

take me out to dinner.

When I got home guy 2 was already there, but as I didnt know i the roses were rom him, I decided to leave them in the car. I

thought Id wait and see i he made any reerence to them. He didnt, so they stayed in the car until hed gone home later that

evening. It turns out I was right. It wasnt guy 2 that sent the roses, it was guy 1. But I was in a dilemma. Id had a lovely evening

with guy 2 who had driven quite a way to see me and take me out. But red roses? Who wouldnt want someone who gave them

roses? I did marry one o them.....but Ill let you work out which one you think it was! Becky Adam

Doug and I always go ormy avourite oysters andsomehow he gets mechocolate strawberries.Been doing it since wehave been dating exceptlast year when I waspregnant. Instead he

cooked me a nice steak, itwas rare and wonderul.Katherine Secor

I met my husband on Valentines Day. I had just moved back to Malaysia onthe Wednesday and Valentines landed on a Friday. I was single and my bestriend was single so we decided to have a girls night out. We were all, whoneeds a man, I love being single, but by the end o the night I had spottedmy uture husband (luckily he spotted me too)! Numbers were exchanged,rst date planned and the rest is history. Flash orward to being marriedwith kids: Valentines is now trying to get the kids to sleep early! I we dontall asleep by the time the boys sleep we will then have a glass o wine and

avourite Secret Recipe cake while watching a soppy lm... me, likely cryingat the weepy bits and him complaining about cheesy chick icksCarly Nair

I met my now husbandon Valentines Day 10years ago...while we wereboth on dates with otherpeople! (We didnt startdating until a ew monthslater.) Rachell Gautz

My boyriend, way back in 1981, was given a brand new

red Honda Prelude as a surprise or his birthday which

happens to be on Valentine s Day! So, of we go or

dinner where he persuaded me to try Duck A LOrange. As

he was driving I ended up drinking most o the wine! We

were then presented with complimentary Irish cofees as

the owner ound out it was my boyriends birthday. He

paid the bill, I stood up and the room promptly started

spinning. I ran out o the restaurant but did not make

it to the bushes and managed to throw up all over thebonnet o his new car! Mandy Nessman

I remember receiving a beautiul

handmade card with 3 hearts drawn

onto it and a poem inside rom a boy

called Nicholas when I was 10!

I also remember heading out or supper

one night with a girlriend in Richmond

and fnding it incredibly hard to fnd

a table anywhere. Then, on fnding a

table, wondering why every other table

in the place was ull o couples staring

into each others eyes! Turns out it was

Valentines day!!

Sarah Dunn

My most memorable Valentines Day by ar

was 33 years ago in 1980. Dinner was at the

Gun Barrels pub, Edgbaston, Birmingham

and it was my rst date with my husband.

Married 30 years this March! I just googled

the pub and its still there so perhaps we

should make a point o reuniting with itone o these Valentine days! Lynda Merican

A ew Valentines Days ago I bought loads opunnets o strawberries, cut them all in haland made them into a big heart on the tableor when the other hal came back. I thentook her out or a meal. However, I didntrealise it was a set menu and I lost abouta stone in sweat handing over my debitcard to be charged at over 90 or what wasessentially chicken, some ancy sauce andsome brandy ice cream.John Duggan

Although I dont celebrate it mysel, as I think everyday deserves some special romance(!), I will neverorget getting o the MTR at Jordan station in HongKong and being aced with literally hundreds o youngmen standing nervously in reshly-pressed shirtsholding gigantic bouquets o roses. Quite a sight, butnot one was or me. They certainly take it seriouslyover there. Nicola Everitt

I cant remember the last Valentines

wish I got rom my husband. Just

goes to show how unromantic it

has become ater so many years o

marriage. What I normally hear is

Boys...its Valentines day. Go wishMommy Happy Valentines Day.Karen Loh

One Valentines Day my husband recreated

our rst date! That was probably the most

romantic one. Then at the other extreme,

we were doing the weekly shop together at

Tescos (not a regular occurrence or him to

join in) when he disappeared or a second

and came back while I was at the cashier

and said, This one too please, giving me

my Valentines card rom him to buy! I

bought my own Valentines card!Melina Timson-Katchis

When I was in middleschool I received a cardevery year. I was reallypleased and fattered.My name was misspelled

slightly and I spent agestrying to nd out who sentit. It wasnt until 2 years agomy dad nally admittedhed sent them all along!Andrea Coe

We dont bother with Valentines Day but Ian gave mea little notebook or our 20th wedding anniversary,it was a nice one (Paperchase, i you please) but still,just a small notebook. Not like him at all, hes normallyvery generous and gives wonderul presents. Anyway,when I opened it, on the rst page he had written, Aew o the mill ion things I love about you..., and thenon every single page he had written a diferent thing.It was denitely the most romantic, lovely thing to do,makes me teary just thinking about it. (I there are anyhusbands reading this - eel ree to use this idea!)Jeanie Kennedy

Neither my hubby nor I are huge anso Valentines Day - bah humbug!That doesnt mean to say that myhusband does not surprise me with

romantic gestures. When I leastexpect it, he will arrive home with abunch o fowers. I have also receivedsome lovely pressies o jewellery - allo peakgits, so to speak, whenthe occasion does not demand it.Brownie points galore or him!Carole Farrand

My best Valentines Day was about 4years ago. My partner and I spent itin Paris. Instead o doing the usuallyslushy Parisian Valentines stu wewent to Per Lachaise cemetery. It wasa gorgeous crisp, bright day and wespent the whole day exploring andputting little oil covered chocolatehearts on the amous graves o all its

amous residents including Edith Pia,Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde.

Adrian Lourie

I can remember the rst

Valentines Day with Dave. I

made an eort and cooked

a nice meal, put lots o

candles everywhere and

then promptly managed to

burn the wicker coee table

we had in our ully urnished

rented fat.Joanna Taylor

One year I surprised my husband with a day at Twycross Zoo(Midlands, UK).Once there, we gradually made our way round to the monkeyenclosure where he saw his name on a plaque on the wall. Hehad adopted Flin the Chimp and a Dusky Lea Monkey. It camewith a yearsmembership as we loved the Zoo and that waseven beore children. He was born in the year o the monkey.Joanne Ball

O the 7 Valentines since Tim and I gottogether we have been in the samecountry or 1 o them. In 2009 he sentme a massive bunch o fowers andhelium lled, heart shaped balloonswhich was amazing and most unlikehim. Heading home on the tube wasexcruciatingly embarrassing and whenI got home and spoke to him, themain emotion hed been aiming orwas embarrassment so I would stoppestering him or fowers! Aint lovegrand? Sarah Morgan

My most memorable ValentinesDays are the one when we wentto see Iron Maiden at BrixtonAcademy, and the one when we wentto see Deftones here in KL. I cantremember doing anything for anyof the others. The only card I canremember clearly is because it wasfrom a secret admirer. The front wasa photograph of lots of walnuts witha single red foil heart placed on top.Inside it said, Nuts about you, andthe valentine had written a questionmark. It was hand delivered to mymums house. I was only in middleschool so its a couple of years agonow(!). Never found out who thatwas from.Rachel Joseph

Roles reversed... the rstValentines Day I had with Stevehe made such an eort and gaveme a teddy, red roses, the wholething. I, however, am totally notinto valentines and bought hima card rom the petrol station onthe way to meet him. He knewstraight away! I think its goodthat us girls are not predictable!Kellie Butterworth

Valentines Day 2002 would have to be mymost memorable, despite being more than

1200 miles away rom my beloved. Exactly

two weeks prior to this I had let Newcastle

to work or a riend in Barcelona. The plan

was to get settled in my new job and fnd a

place or my girlriend and me to live. I had

barely had time to unpack when, exactly

two weeks to the day, Valentines Day, my

girlriend rang me to drop a bombshell...

she was pregnant! Needless to say, the rest

o the day, ater spending a considerable

amount o time crying over the phone

(tears o joy I hasten to add), was an alcohol

blurred day o congratulations and urther

tears.Steve Whalley

I remember Gary surprising me

by giving me an Easter egg and

when I opened it, inside where

the chocolate buttons should

have been, there was a box with a

wishbone ring in and I still wear it

to this day. Shirley Crowther

Im ideologically opposed toValentines Day as I see it as anotherone o those days inspired bygreeting card companies to make usspend money. I especially eel robbedby the act you cant go anywhere(as a couple or not) because everypub or restaurant or cinema is ull ohen-pecked boyriends entertainingtheir uneasily impressed WAGs withchampagne and surprisemarriageproposals. There is intrinsicallynothing romantic about 14th Feb andI reuse to be bullied into treating it

diferently because Hallmark said Ishould. I take Caroline out or somekind o surprise treat at another, less-obvious but equally arbitrary, time othe year like June 9th or August 21st.Keith Patterson

My most memorable, and possibly

worst Valentines Day, was my rst

Valentines Day with Ian. He didnt

get me a card, but made up or it

by cooking a lovely meal. Then, he

quickly ruined the night by telling

me I had a tache that tickled his lip

when we kissed! I was mortied and

he is still making it up to me 5 years

later. Helen Walsh

My rst valentines

day with Warren

he bought me a

can o de-icer and

a rying pan!Sally Pritchard

Memorable Valentines

compiled by Rachel Joseph