Terry Mooney was a lonely singleton looking for love when he placed an advert in the Lonely Hearts column of the News Shopper paper in 1976.
Although doubtful he would meet his match, 30-year-old Terry was approached by Joan - a woman who was soon to be the love-of-his-life and keep him happily married for 45 years.
It wasn’t until weeks after she initially saw Terry’s advert that Joan, who was 24 at the time, decided to answer – and she did so by putting a note through Terry’s work address while on a trip to the town centre with her mum and dad.
The note said: “It’s not that I can’t afford a stamp, I was heading into Orpington town centre and your office was on the way”.
Although Joan had her doubts that her pen-pal would respond, she received a call on December 13, 1976, from Terry, asking if she wanted to attend his work;s Christmas dinner and dance party.
After decades of passion and three children and a granddaughter, the pair’s love story continues as Terry and Joan celebrated 45 years of marriage on July 16, 2022.
“I always knew we would be together” Joan said, as she told the News Shopper that the couple celebrated their sapphire anniversary by “pottering around inside, enjoying the sunny weather from the garden”.
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Joan continued: “Terry picked me up from my sister’s house, and all I can remember is leaning out of his car with a torch, trying to see through the fog in the air.
“I spent most of the evening chatting with his friends’ wives, and he was off talking to his friends.
“But on the journey home, he asked me out again, and we headed to an old-fashioned pub the next day for more drinks.”
The rest was history for the Orpington couple, as seven months after Terry placed his advert in the News Shopper paper, the lovers were officially married.
Joan added: “Terry and I always knew that we were meant for together, right from the start.
“45 years later, we’re still together, and we have three beautiful children, Claire Kevin and Darren, and a granddaughter named Elena.”
Lonely Hearts is a column found in British newspapers which is dedicated to finding love – and anyone who reads the message could either write to or ring you to show their interest.
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