THIRD TIME HAPPY

“When I met Graham on Facebook I did my research... I wasn’t going to get it wrong a third time!”

ROSE EARL, WHO LIVES IN GIBRALTAR AND WORKS IN PROPERTY, GOT MARRIED LAST YEAR FOR THE THIRD TIME AT 54 TO HER HUSBAND GRAHAM, WHO WAS 50. SHE HAS THREE DAUGHTERS FROM HER PREVIOUS MARRIAGES.

AFTER TWO MARRIAGES AND YEARS OF BEING ON MY OWN, I REALLY DIDN’T SEE MYSELF MEETING SOMEONE AGAIN. I’D HAD RELATIONSHIPS, BUT NOTHING SERIOUS – I DIDN’T LET ANYONE GET THAT CLOSE. THEN ONE DAY WHILE I WAS SCROLLING THROUGH FACEBOOK, A GROUP CALLED “ARE YOU INTERESTED” POPPED UP.

OUT OF CURIOSITY, I CLICKED ON THE GROUP AND REALISED IT WAS A DATING FORUM.

AS I FLICKED THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHS, I CAME ACROSS GRAHAM’S. ALTHOUGH I TRIED TO DISMISS IT – HE WASN’T MY TYPE, OR SO I THOUGHT – HIS PROFILE KEPT POPPING UP AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND HE JUST HAD SUCH A NICE, KIND FACE.

WHEN IT CAME TO ADDING ON MY LOCATION, GIBRALTAR, IT AUTOMATICALLY CAME UP AS GIBRALTAR IN LINCOLNSHIRE – NOT WHERE I LIVE. SO ALTHOUGH GRAHAM HAD SEEN MY PROFILE AND WAS INTERESTED, HE THOUGHT I LIVED IN LINCOLNSHIRE AND EVEN THAT WAS TOO FAR TO TRAVEL, AS HE WAS IN ROMFORD, ESSEX!

BUT EVENTUALLY, CURIOSITY GOT THE BETTER OF HIM TOO. WE CHATTED FOR

SOME TIME VIA FACEBOOK, THEN EMAILS AND LATER ON SKYPE. I LEARNED THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN MARRIED FOR 20 YEARS, BUT HAD NO CHILDREN. EVENTUALLY, GRAHAM ASKED IF IT WAS OKAY FOR HIM TO COME TO GIBRALTAR TO MEET PERSONALLY.

I THOUGHT, WELL, IF I’M GOING TO HITCH UP WITH GRAHAM, HE’S GOT A JOB TO FILL! WAS HE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME? WAS HE GOING TO LOOK AFTER ME AND TREAT ME WELL? I’M NOT INTO TATTOOS, OR PIERCINGS, OR SMOKING. HE NEEDED TO LIKE DIY AS WELL. GRAHAM WAS HAPPY TO SHOW ME LOTS OF PHOTOS, AND LET ME SPEAK TO HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I WAS DOING MY RESEARCH! I WASN’T GOING TO GET IT WRONG A THIRD TIME. I’D HAD TOO

MANY LESSONS.

THE FIRST TIME I MARRIED, I WAS 18.

I’D LOST MY MOTHER TO CANCER AT 16,

AND WAS A BIT LOST. I MET SOMEONE

WHO I’D KNOWN FROM CHILDHOOD, AND MOVED IN WITH HIS FAMILY FOR A WHILE. I ENDED UP MARRYING HIM BECAUSE IT SEEMED THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND WE HAD A DAUGHTER, ROSIE. THEN HE WAS OFFERED A JOB IN GIBRALTAR, WHICH IS HOW I ENDED UP HERE, AND THOUGH WE DIVORCED WHEN I WAS 27, I’VE

NOW BEEN HERE FOR 28 YEARS. I MET MY SECOND HUSBAND AND THE FATHER OF MY OTHER TWO GIRLS, ROSLYNN AND ROCHELLE, BUT IT WAS A VERY UNHAPPY MARRIAGE. I LEFT AFTER EIGHT YEARS AND AFTER THAT BEING ON MY OWN WAS

JUST FANTASTIC. BUT GRAHAM TICKED ALL THE BOXES. THE FIRST TIME I MET HIM, I FELT AS THOUGH

I’D KNOWN HIM ALL MY LIFE. HE’S SO KIND-HEARTED AND FANTASTIC WITH THE GIRLS. HE’S FROM THE OLD SCHOOL OF MEN. HE LOOKS AFTER ME AND I LOOK AFTER HIM.

AFTER MUCH THOUGHT AND SEVERAL VISITS TO GIBRALTAR, GRAHAM DECIDED TO GIVE UP HIS 20-YEAR CAREER WITH THE METROPOLITAN POLICE SO HE COULD START A NEW LIFE

HERE WITH ME. HE GOT A JOB WITH THE MOD DEFENCE POLICE IN GIBRALTAR.

WE HAVE SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER

– IN OUR HEADS, WE’RE STILL YOUNG.

WHEN GRAHAM VISITED WE USED TO GO CLUBBING AND, ONE NIGHT, WE WERE DANCING FOR SO LONG THAT THEY HAD TO THROW US OUT AT 5.30AM!

WE GOT MARRIED AT THE BEAUTIFUL ALAMEDA BOTANIC GARDENS, WHERE I WORKED AT THE TIME. ON THE WEDDING DAY, I LITERALLY FELT LIKE I WAS FLYING.

I JUST THOUGHT, “THIS IS HOW IT’S MEANT TO FEEL.” GRAHAM WAS ACTUALLY VERY EMOTIONAL AND TEARFUL. IT WAS SO DIFFERENT TO MY LAST TWO WEDDINGS WHICH WERE IN REGISTER OFFICES.

I DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK I JUST FOUND THE PERFECT GUY ON THE INTERNET, THOUGH. IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO ONLINE DATING, YOU CAN’T JUST BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY’VE WRITTEN!

I FINALLY FEEL THAT I HAVE LOVE AND HARMONY IN MY LIFE – IT’S NEVER TOO LATE.