10 Movies
Most romantic films ideal for Valentine’s Day
Snuggle up on the sofa, pour a glass of your favourite tipple, put popcorn in a bowl, open a box of tissues and settle down for a touch of romance.
From Brief Encounter to Notting Hill, there are love stories to suit all tastes. Some of the best screen romances of all time include Scarlett and Rhett, played by Vivien Leigh andClarkGable,fromGoneWiththe Wind, Rick and Elsa in Casablanca, played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, and Rose and Jack, Titanic stars played by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
And, although not friends in real life, Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze set the big screen alight as Johnny and Baby in Dirty Dancing.
The films mentioned are all available on DVD to buy online.
From poetry written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to words spoken by Casablanca bar owner Rick, there are hundreds of ways to express love.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we consider a timely selection of favourite classic quotes ...
1 All You Needs is Love – The Beatles.
2 Here’s looking at you,
Kid – Rick, Humphrey Bogart, to Ilsa in Casablanca.
3 Love means never having to say you’re sorry – Jennifer Cavalleri, Ali MacGraw’s character in Love Story.
4 You are my sun, my moon, and all my stars – ee cummings.
5 I know what love is, it is because of you – Hermann
Hesse.
6 I knew I loved you before I met you – Savage Garden.
7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud – 1
Corinthians 13.
8 The regret of my life is that I have not said ‘I love you’ often enough – Yoko Ono.
9 You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams – Dr Seuss.
10 You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not – Jodi Picoult.
11 If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk through my garden forever – Alfred Lord Tennyson.
12 One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving – Paulo Coelho.
13 We love the things we love for what they are – Robert Frost.
14 Money can’t me love –
The Beatles.
15 Love is a many-splendored thing – music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, recorded for the film of the same name by Matt Monro.
16 How do I love thee? Let me count the ways, I love thee to the depth and breadth and height, my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight, for the ends of being and ideal grace – Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
17 Roses are red, violets are blue – English nursery rhyme written by Gammer Garland in 1783.
18 Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary – Oscar Wilde.
19 My Funny Valentine – written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, sung by Frank Sinatra.
20 Where there is love there is life – Mahatma Gandhi.
21 ’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all – Alfred Lord Tennyson.
22 The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves – Victor Hugo.
23 I have decided to stick to love; hate is too great a burden to bear – Martin Luther King.
24 At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet –
Plato.
25 One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love – Sophocles.
26 I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone – JRR Tolkien, Lord of The Rings.
27 If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you – AA Milne, Winnie the Pooh.
28 Don’t forget I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her – Anna, Julia Roberts, to William, Hugh Grant, in film Notting Hill
29 You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice.
30 Pleasure of love lasts but a moment. Pain of love lasts a lifetime –
While we’ll be sitting tight and staying home for Valentine’s Day 2021, the gift of travel says better times are coming as just the incentive needed to get through lockdown, say travel experts Sauce.
With the COVID-19 vaccine rolling out, hotels and holidaymakers are feeling hopeful for the industry’s return this Spring and everyone is dreaming of being anywhere but their living room.
“Whether the ideal break involves wine tasting, brushing up on kitchen skills or a hot stone massage, the UK has an abundance of beautiful spots to head to, where every desire shall be catered for and each is offering their own gift experience this Valentine’s Day,” said a Sauce spokesman.
Here Sauce offers a few examples to help people turn their dreams into reality.
For the wine connoisseurs there is Lympstone Manor in Devon.
Impress loved one with a night of fine dining and excellent wine in the luxurious settings of this contemporary country house in Devon.
The Celebration Stay includes an overnight stay, Champagne aperitifs with canapés followed by Chef Patron Michael Caines’ signature eight-course tasting menu accompanied by a matching wine flight.
As an extra romantic touch, a bouquet of seasonal flowers, handmade chocolates and a bottle of Michael Caines Blanc de Blanc will be presented on arrival, priced at £1,151.
For the golfer there is the Manor House, Wiltshire.
Set across 365 acres of Cotswold countryside, The Manor House is a luxury hotel with a championship golf course.
While there, guests can eat and drink at the Michelin starred Bybrook, a dedicated gin bar and 12th century pub.
Golf round prices start from £70 and Valentine’s Day vouchers are available from £25-£1000 and can be used across all Exclusive collection properties.
Pennyhill Park, Surrey, offers a delight for spa lovers.
Situated in 120 acres of leafy Surrey parkland, The Spa at Pennyhill Park is a 45,000 feet haven of therapeutic treatments boasting an extensive range of pools, thermal cabins, experience showers and treatments to create a perfect day of relaxation.
Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa Gift Vouchers are available from £145. Valentine’s Day vouchers are available from £25-£1000 and can be used across all Exclusive collection properties.
South Lodge, Sussex, is a luxury hotel with views over the South Downs, and has award-winning dining and a state-of-the-art spa.
A restful break at South Lodge can take you to a state of total relaxation. A muchneeded re-boot for you and your loved one, with treatments such as the spa bamboo massage and lots of cosy corners to relax and unwind in.
Valentine’s Day vouchers are available from £25£1,000 and can be used across all Exclusive collection properties.
The Coniston Hotel Estate and Spa, Yorkshire offers locals Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea for Two, which can be collected from the hotel between February 11-14.
For those further afield and after a gift to look forward to, Gift Vouchers can be bought to be some of the first to experience The Coniston’s newly renovated spa, opening later in 2021.
The Coniston at home by Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea for Two, which includes a red rose is priced at £37.50.
For the foodie there is the five-star country house hotel Lainston House, Hampshire, At Season, cooks of all abilities are welcomed to a range of opportunities to perfect their cookery skills with classes such Plant Based Cooking to Fire Pit Lamb.
The meals prepared are enjoyed in a dedicated modern dining space or in the beautiful outdoor kitchen.
Valentine’s Day vouchers are available from £25£1,000 and can be used across all Exclusive collection properties.
The Forest Side, Lake District is a fairy-tale gothic mansion with an awardwinning restaurant in the beautiful Lake District countryside.
Using only the freshest and locally sourced ingredients, the seasonal menu at The Forest Side Restaurant is paired with expertly sourced organic and biodynamic wines.
Treat your Valentine to dinner, bed and breakfast and a bottle of Rosé Champagne with vouchers from £489-£659 that are presented in a beautiful box.
Hipping Hall, Lancashire, is the home of Masterchef: The Professionals winner Oli Martin’s cooking.
Oli’s dishes are created with locally fished, farmed and grazed produce. The
Valentine’s Day Gift Box includes a bottle of Delamotte Rosé Champagne,
Dinner by Oli Martin a room to sleep in and a hearty breakfast in the morning. Prices from £419-£519.
Gifts for Valentine’s Day need not cost the earth and it’s often the little things that mean the most ... after all, it’s the thought that counts!
If searching for last minute novelty gifts or a more traditional way of showing your love in floral form, there are plenty of ideas online or in supermarkets to brighten your partner’s day.
Traditional roses at Tesco start from £5 for a dozen red roses, and range up to the premium Finest Blue Moon bouquet at £25, which is a mix of Moody Blue roses, a highly fragrant flower which offers mauve-pink colouring with shades of lavender-blue, along with purple antirrhinums, chrysanthemums, scented lilacs and red Freedom roses.
Or the ‘Loving You’ Bouquet, at £10 includes red and white chrysanthemums, antirrhinum, a profusion of blooms in different shades, carnations and a red rose centrepiece, to show your other half they hold the key to your heart.
For something fun and different, whether you’re together or apart this Valentine’s Day, you can get to know each other better with the Couples Quiz priced £2. This 50 pack of quiz cards allows you to share cherished memories while making new ones.
How about a fun Heart Chalk Board at £3 to leave loving notes and brighten up your partner’s day or surprise them with the menu for a romantic home cooked meal.
Still on the heart shaped theme, a Brownie Skillet at £6 can be used to bake homemade brownies and enjoy eating them together.
And a Valentine’s Breakfast
Set, priced £5 will help you start your Valentine’s
Day in a great way, comprising two cheerful egg cups and spoons.
If you can’t be with your loved one, let them know you’re thinking of them by gifting a Super Soft Plush Elephant, perfect for snuggling up with in bed, for £10.
For anyone who enjoys a soak in the bath, there are Mini Heart Shaped Bath Bombs for £3.50. Perfect also for those with no partner – just pamper yourself! Then why not take a Pink Heart Hot Water Bottle, priced £5, to bed for a snug and soothing night’s sleep.
From February 8, there’s also a £15 Finest Valentine’s Meal Deal including a starter, main, side, vegetable accompaniment and dessert to feed two, with a full-sized bottle of Tesco Finest Prosecco, wine, or non-alcoholic alternative.