Shaila (eldest of 3) and I (eldest of 4) first knew each other through working in the same department at Dixons, albeit at opposite ends of the department. Our paths hardly ever crossed throughout my tenure at Dixons. It was only really in the last 6 months or so we got talking but even this was purely on a working basis. Mind you I often got the tongue being stuck at me for too much staring across the desks!! I would learn quickly never to cross Shaila’s tongue!!!!

Christmas functions were always great opportunities to let ones hair down. And it was at these that I soon found out that Shaila had a filthy sense of humour and a dirty laugh to go with it. Neither of us were looking for lurve as the situation was very different then to what it is now, but we had some great times and we enjoyed each others company.

When I left Dixons we agreed to stay in touch, and that’s exactly what we did. We agreed to meet up for a “cheeky” drink in Ealing one evening soon after I left. That evening turned out to be our first date (although we did not realise this at the time), but it nearly never happened as it was dark, windy, cold and rainy and Shaila very nearly stood me up! But she didn’t and we had a couple of Buds, chatted endlessly, went for a pizza and I invited myself back to her place for a beer that I never even touched! Honestly, we just talked all that night as I remember the extortionate taxi fare to get home!

A week later, our second get together/date was a right laugh…quite literally! We went to Jongleaurs in Watford and ignored the show and once again just talked all night over a pitcher of Stella…class! Yep we again ended up at Shaila’s place and carried on talking…honest gov! After that evening we saw each other fairly regularly and love did start to blossom slowly, until Simon became Shaila’s lodger 12 months later, well that was the official line at the time!

Our first holiday together was soon after I became “Shaila’s lodger”. We went to the Dominican Republic, a holiday we booked through Teletext I seem to recall late one night. Unsure of what we had actually booked, we were both pleasantly surprised when we arrived. A beach front room, beautiful resort and great company (pass the bucket!). Honestly, it was one of my all time favourite holidays, everything just clicked. We came back beaming, refreshed and wanting to book the next holiday straight away.

One year after living together, we decided to sell both houses and find our own place. It took us the best part of the year to look, find, buy, do up and finally move in. It felt like we were never gonna find the right place, all the houses we saw were either too small, too pricey, too far away etc etc But we literally stumbled on this property in Bricket Wood. We did not consider it at all until we walked inside. We just knew this was the one. Although the present occupiers lived in a pigsty we loved the place. What a feeling it was, the day we moved into our first marital home.

A lot has happened since we moved in and now that Shaila’s health is finally improving we both cant wait to get married and write the next chapter of our lives.