Childhood sweethearts reunited and set to marry!

This month’s STAR STORY comes from Les Parr in Australia, who after almost 40 years, has been reunited with his childhood sweetheart and now the two are set to marry! In his own words, Les explains:

“Turn back the clock to a now distant 1970…

Life was pretty good in Carterton, a small town in Oxfordshire. I was 17 years old and suffering from a bad case of wanting a girlfriend I couldn’t have!

Bev was already taken and nothing I could do could change that. Oh well! I still got to see her at the youth club.

However, one fateful day, news came to me that she was leaving with her family to start a new life in Australia. I was devastated. How was my dream going to come true now?

The last night at the youth club before she left I managed to write in her autograph book twice and in the second message, I asked if she would meet me outside.

I was really surprised and happy when she agreed!

That kiss was to last me a long, long time but it was heaven to me.

Life was down for me after that day but finally I got a girlfriend to spend my days with. Then one day, a big surprise... In 1972 my parents said we were packing up and moving to, yes you guessed it, Australia!!!

It was the best news ever but the problem was, I had no address for Bev and no way of getting in touch with her again! I didn’t even know what state in Australia she lived in.

Well, we moved and time moved on; I got married, we had four children, and over the years we moved house and changed jobs, as you do.

I divorced in 1999 and started the single life again. I forget which year I joined Who-Remembers-Me but I think it was around 2005.

One date I’ll never forget however is the 16th September 2008. On this special day I received a rather special email from a very special lady. Bev had found me through the site and had got in touch! I was over the moon!

Even better was the discovery that like me Bev was divorced and single again.

We exchanged a few emails and I decided it would be a fantastic break to travel from Perth to Adelaide to meet up.

And so on the 13th of November – another date to remember – I flew into Adelaide. I was so excited at the thought of seeing her again. Bev met me at the airport and I recognised her immediately.

She was still the same girl I desired so much 38 years prior. Bev was nervous for a few seconds but that first hug and kiss relaxed us both very quickly.

That first meeting was amazing and we chatted for so long trying to catch up on each other’s lives. We were like twins separated at birth for all the identical likes and dislikes we shared. Many of our life experiences were the same too.

The days that followed just brought us closer and closer. We went into Adelaide city on the fourth day to do some shopping and stopped for a coffee at Gloria Jeans.

There we sat enjoying a coffee and a smoke in the beautiful sunshine; then time to do some more shopping… but I had another thing in mind!

Bev wanted to go one way but I pulled her in the opposite direction. The shop next door was a jeweller’s shop! I bumped Bev with my hip as we reached the doorway and pushed her inside.

What are we doing in here she asked? I didn’t say a word but when the shop assistant asked if she could help, I requested to see their engagement rings!

Bev’s face went a funny colour and she needed to sit down. I don’t remember actually saying "Will you marry me" but I didn’t need to as we both felt it was so right for us.

Finally, after 38 years my dream has come true. I’ve got the girl I wanted all those years ago and on the 14th February 2010 we’ll be getting married!

Thank you Who-Remembers-Me for bringing us back together.”