The search for 'Mr Right' is over.. let's hope I don't mess it up! | Sue Plunkett

A popular, and extremely cheesy cartoon of the 70s called Love Is...featured a black and white drawing of the idealised 'perfect' couple.
Sue Plunkett with her partner, Ian Moore,who she met two years ago.. for the first time since they were at school together four decades agoSue Plunkett with her partner, Ian Moore,who she met two years ago.. for the first time since they were at school together four decades ago
Sue Plunkett with her partner, Ian Moore,who she met two years ago.. for the first time since they were at school together four decades ago

Various images of the cute twosome, with their oversized heads and big soulful eyes, carried a different answer to the question of what love was such as 'love is when he brings you flowers.'

As a 12 year old they represented the idea of what romantic love was. And I dreamed that one day I would be like the 'love is' couple. And in my mind it could possibly have come true with my first crush ,who was the late Les McKeown lead singer of the Bay City Rollers.

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My heart skipped a beat watching him on TV prancing around in his tartan edged white pants and jacket singng Bye Bye Baby. I felt genuiine sadness at the news of his death a couple of weeks ago at the age of 65.

Seeing old footage of the band took me right back to those heady days and the bittersweet feeling of being 'in love' with someone who was completely unattainable. I joined the fan club and planned a trip to see the band on tour but, as I was only 12 at the time, I wasn't allowed!

When you do fall in love for real, it's then you realise that a crush on a pop star was sheer fantasy and doesn't come close to the real thing.

But you also realise that the childish 'Love is..' cartoon was way off the mark.

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Or at least I did. Many of my friends have forged successful and happy marriages and I am regularly toasting their longevity.

It never happened for me. I often describe myself as 'twice divorced,' although technically I was only married once but I did also have a long term relationship. Both lasted a total of 25 years.. does that count? Somehow I don't think so.

Since becoming newly single again five years ago I have been on several dates and had a couple of brief romances. Then, two years ago a man I first met when we were just 16 and at school together, walked into my life and we hit it off from the word 'go.'

It wasn't a case of rekindling an old romance as we didn't really know each other at school and hardly spoke.

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Probably because he wouldn't have got a word in edgeways with me!

He is kind, funny, genuine, honest, and has stacks of patience to cope with my 'diva' ways!

Like myself, he has been through his fair share of heartbreak and, also like me, had almost given up on finding the elusive 'love is..' partner.

We knew from our first date that we had something special, but as time has gone on we both know you can never take anything for granted and a relationship has to be worked at as it changes and evolves.

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My mum had a little saying she loved to trot out at every chance that went something like this: "Life is full of ups and downs but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile when everything goes dead wrong."

I think I've finally found him after a long search and one of the key elements of our relationship is that we laugh at each other and together.. a lot.

I feel lucky to have been given another crack at love.. let's hope I don't mess this one up.

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