Meet . . . Mr and Mrs Love

A Shropshire couple called Mr and Mrs Love today spoke of how their love for each other has endured despite the most adverse of starts.

Colin and Pauline Love, of Glendale, Lawley Village, Telford, married in their teens but soon found themselves homeless and expecting their first child.

Their homelessness plight was featured in a story in the Shropshire Star's sister paper the Express and Star in 1974.

The article told how the Wolverhampton couple had to sleep rough in bus shelters, despite Pauline, just 16 at the time, being pregnant.

In spite of the tough start, the couple managed to stay together and 34 years later, as they celebrate another Valentine's Day together today, they revealed how their relationship survived such early adversities.

Pauline, 50, said: "We met at a disco in Wolverhampton. I was 15 then and Colin was 16. We were young and I fell pregnant.

"Despite being young we wanted to keep the baby and build a life together.

"The baby was not planned but it was not an unwanted baby - we were determined to stay together and have a family.

"There was pressure from our families but we dug our heels in and insisted we were going to be together. We didn't marry because we had to - we married because we wanted to.

"We got married in December 1973 but due to family disputes we were homeless in February 1974.

"We had to sleep in bus shelters but to be honest neither us slept a wink, were were so petrified. I was so scared."

Fortunately the couple were offered accommodation after two nights of sleeping rough and their baby, Donna, now 33, was born in April 1974.

Pauline said: "It was a tough start and we didn't have much but we just knew we would be together for ever. Our son Andrew was born a few years later and he is now 31."

The couple moved to Telford in 1977. Pauline said: "Colin and I even worked together for a while at the Central Circuits factory in Halesfield.

"Our colleagues would say they came to work to get away from their husband or wife but it was never like that for us."

The couple are still as happy today and are proud grandparents. Donna has a daughter and Andrew has three children.

Their strong love has also helped get the couple through the aftermath of a serious motorcycle accident their son Andrew suffered last year.

She said: "He is home now and doing well. We are just happy he is still with us. I suppose we have just stuck together as a family."