Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Rhys & Danielle Neighbours fell for each other as they took out the bins
When Rhys Edwards moved in next door to Danielle Knights last March, they were simply neighbours – but just a few months later, lockdown would cause love to blossom.
Danielle, 29, from Reading, says: “Rhys and I met just before lockdown. We opened our doors at exactly the same time while I was taking out the bins.
“We introduced ourselves then got chatting outside the car park for 30 minutes.
“I was freezing cold but the time flew by.
“I fancied Rhys straight away. He was tall, manly and had a sexy South African accent. He seemed polite and chatty too, so it was nice to have a proper neighbour to chat to.”
Rhys, 33, and Danielle, who is a music agent for Live & Love Music (www.liveandlovemusic.com), swapped numbers and began texting.
Soon, Rhys even began leaving presents outside Danielle’s front door.
She says: “It was really cute and made me feel special. It was nice to have a few surprises during lockdown to cheer me up.
“He left me some chocolates on my birthday and then asked me what I wanted from the shops.” Then as lockdown eased over summer, the pair went on their first date in August.
Danielle says: “Our first date lasted about seven hours. I don’t think either of us wanted it to end.
“He took me out for lunch at a local restaurant, then we went for a walk by the river and had a few drinks at a couple of bars.
“I wore a dress.
“It was the first time he’d seen me in anything other than scruffy jeans and a jumper around our building.
“We had our first hug at the end of that evening.
“It was well worth the wait, especially as it was my first hug in months due to lockdown.”
And their relationship has continued to go from strength to strength, as
Rhys and Danielle formed a support bubble.
Danielle says of their romance: “I never expected this to happen when Rhys moved in. I wasn’t looking for love and had been single for a few years.
“But they do say the right person comes along when you’re not looking. I totally believe that now.”
“After the very sad news that dear Captain Sir Tom Moore had passed away, our 10-year-old granddaughter’s teacher at Hook Junior School in Hampshire asked his class to create their own personal tribute to him,” says proud grandmother Pauline Bromley. She adds, “Our granddaughter Brielle Wilson, who is a budding artist and hardly ever seen without a pencil or felt-tip in her hand, chose to capture the moment the Queen knighted Captain Sir Tom in perfect detail. What she has drawn is quite remarkable for one so young.”
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