It's destination love for coach trip couple

When Shropshire couple Jean Potter and Gordon Sheward met on a coach trip to Scotland in the twilight of their lives it was love at first sight.

And the elderly couple struck up such a friendship they are now planning a summer wedding — proving age is no barrier to love. Mrs Potter, 78, and Mr Sheward, 86, who are both widowed, have been together for more than three years.

They decided to tie the knot about two months ago.

"I was married for 38 years and suddenly found myself single when my husband died and I thought I wouldn't get married again," said Mrs Potter, of Shrewsbury.

"I thought I could please myself. But after I met Gordon all things changed. It was more or less love at first sight.

I'm really looking forward to the wedding day."

Mrs Potter met Mr Sheward, of Ketley, Telford, on a five-day Christmas coach tr- ip to a country club in Ren- frewshire, Scotland, in 2008.

"He had a bag and walking stick and I helped him into his seat and he was right across the gangway and we got talking together," she said.

"He was late coming down for breakfast the following morning and he asked if I'd mind giving him a call so he didn't miss breakfast again.

"I knocked on his door in the mornings and we spent a lot of time together on the holiday. We got talking on the coach and found we've got a lot in common and got on well straightaway.

"We exchanged addresses and phone numbers and he invited me over to Telford and I've been going over every Thursday and coming back on a Sunday or Monday ever since."

And now the couple are to marry at Wellington Register Office on July 9.

Mrs Potter added: "We were outside shopping and he said to stop outside the jewellery shop. He went in and got an engagement ring and then walking down the street he said 'will you marry me'."

Mr Sheward, who is in a wheelchair after suffering two heart attacks and breathing problems, has two sons and a daughter, and his wife-to-be has three sons and an adopted daughter.

Mrs Potter, who was born in Bicton and worked as a drug packer, said Mr Sheward, who was in the Army before working in the mining industry, would be moving to live in Shrewsbury once they had got married.

And they are planning to go away to celebrate their union. Mrs Potter said: "We've got a holiday to go to Llandudno in June and are hoping to go somewhere after we've got married, maybe Cornwall or somewhere like that."