FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE
“We were teenage sweethearts but married other people first time around”
HEATHER SNOWLING, FROM SUFFOLK, MARRIED HER CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART AT 55. THIS WAS HER SECOND MARRIAGE. ANDY AND I STARTED DATING WHEN WE WERE 16, BUT MY MOTHER DIDN’T APPROVE – SHE WAS VERY PROTECTIVE AND THOUGHT I WAS TOO YOUNG – SO WE PARTED WAYS AND LATER BOTH MET OTHER PEOPLE. I WAS MARRIED THE FIRST TIME FOR 24 YEARS, AND HAD TWO DAUGHTERS, BUT EVENTUALLY WE JUST BECAME MORE LIKE BROTHER
AND SISTER, AND GREW APART. WHEN WE SEPARATED IN 2012 IT WAS VERY HARD,
BUT WE WANTED DIFFERENT THINGS.
ANDY HAD ACTUALLY MESSAGED ME ON FRIENDS REUNITED IN 2010, WHILE HE WAS STILL MARRIED, SAYING, “I’M LISTENING TO 10CC IN THE GARAGE AND THINKING OF YOU.” THEY WERE OUR SPECIAL GROUP WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, BUT I DIDN’T SEE THE MESSAGE TILL MUCH LATER AS I DIDN’T REALLY USE THE WEBSITE. I REPLIED STRAIGHT AWAY, BUT ANDY HAD LEFT THE SITE BY THEN. WHEN MY MARRIAGE ENDED I LOOKED FOR ANDY ON FACEBOOK AND COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES WHEN I FOUND HIM. IT TURNED OUT THAT HIS MARRIAGE HAD ENDED TOO. WE ARRANGED TO MEET AND WHEN I SAW HIM, I INSTANTLY FELT RELAXED AND HAPPY.
WE DROVE TO NEARBY SHOTLEY, A LOCAL BEAUTY SPOT, WALKED ALONG THE RIVER AND HAD FISH AND CHIPS IN THE PUB. WE TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED IN OUR LIVES SINCE WE PARTED, AND DISCOVERED THAT OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES WERE ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. IT WASN’T A DATE – JUST OLD FRIENDS CATCHING UP – BUT WE MORE OR LESS INSTANTLY REALISED WE WANTED TO BE TOGETHER AGAIN.
WE MOVED IN TOGETHER IN APRIL
2013. I THINK A LOT OF FRIENDS THOUGHT IT WOULDN’T WORK, BUT THEY SOON CHANGED THEIR MINDS – IT WAS LIKE
WE’D ALWAYS BEEN TOGETHER. THREE YEARS AFTER WE REUNITED, ANDY PROPOSED TO ME AT A VALENTINE’S BALL. FOR THE WEDDING, WE HAD A MARQUEE ON THE FARM WHERE WE LIVE – AND WE ALSO HAD A HORSE AND CARRIAGE. WE SAW IT AT A WEDDING FAIR, AND I TOLD ANDY THAT AS A LITTLE GIRL, I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF HAVING A HORSE AND CART FOR MY WEDDING. ANDY JUST BOOKED
IT, AND MY FRIEND KATHERINE CRESSWELL, WHO RUNS MY SAVVY WEDDING
PLANNER, HELPED.
I WAS SO HAPPY ON THE WEDDING DAY – I FELT I HAD EVERYTHING I WANTED THIS TIME ROUND. KATHERINE’S TWOYEAR-OLD SON WAS A PAGEBOY, ANDY’S SON WAS THE BEST MAN, MY TWO DAUGHTERS, AGED 27 AND 22, AND ANDY’S DAUGHTER, WHO’S 29, WERE MY BRIDESMAIDS. THE GIRLS HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT MY GETTING MARRIED AT FIRST, BUT THEY’RE HAPPY FOR ME.
ANDY MADE ME GIVE A SPEECH AT THE WEDDING AND, AT THE END OF
IT, I THANKED HIM FOR COMING BACK
INTO MY LIFE. I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU’RE IN YOUR FIFTIES, YOU’VE GOT A SOULMATE AND YOU KNOW IT’S RIGHT, THEN WHY NOT GET MARRIED? LIFE’S TOO SHORT – YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. W&H