Be young, be foolish, be happy

Independence Day has an ironic ring in the Solly household. It was this day that I went on a first date with the woman who is now my wife.
It was 25 years ago and we went to a pub called The Warren Wood. In between then and now we lived together, split up, I got married and divorced and then we met again and got married.
Back then we were young, thin and fairly ambitious. Though, to be honest. I asked her out as part of a bet with her boss.
I was a cocky reporter with the Ilford Recorder and she had not long joined the local council as a press officer.
I thought she targeted me as a contact because I was, naturally, good looking and 'the person to know' among local journalists. It turns out her boss handed her a crap press release and said 'give Solly a ring, he's lazy and he'll use it.'
Her bosses told her that I was on drugs as my eyes were often red. This was because I wore hard contact lenses and smoked and spent a lot of time in pubs. Oh, and took drugs. Usually to fill in time before council planning meetings where in a pot-fuelled haze I would imagine Councillor Hazel Weinberg in a leather dominatrix outfit and...well, that's by the by.
Meanwhile, when my future wife joined the council I had one of those yes/no conversations with her colleague, Mike. 'What's the new girl like?' I said, 'yes' said Mike. 'Is she sitting next to you then?' 'Yes' said Mike. 'Is she attractive?' I asked, 'yes' he replied. 'Do I stand a chance?' 'No'. 'Bet you a fiver then?' 'Ok' he said.
We met before a council meeting at The Angel in Ilford where I wore my best Ben Elton-style shiny suit, black leather pixie boots and thin tie (it was the 1980s for heaven's sake). First thing she said was: 'And what do you want to be when you grow up?'
I asked her for a date and within two weeks had proposed but I was 23, we were far too young and she, sensibly, said no.
I was in love instantly and still am, of course, though we tend to gloss over those years in between when I was married to someone else.
Of course, this being the 25th anniversary we're doing something special. She's gone to Take That with her friend and I'm fixing a roof box to the Prius.
Rock and roll.
Cheers...Solly