My heart will go on

A devoted husband spent years creating this touching heart-shaped meadow as a tribute to his late wife. Farmer Winston Howes planted the oak saplings after his wife Janet died suddenly 17 years ago.

The 70-year-old laid out the fledgling trees in a six-acre field but left a perfect heart shape in the middle - with the point facing in the direction of her childhood home.

The labour of love has now blossomed into a mature meadow - a peaceful oasis where Winston can sit and remember his wife of 33 years.

His meadow cannot be seen from the road and has remained a family secret until a hot air balloonist took this photograph from the air.

He said: "I came up with the idea of creating a heart in the clearing of the field after Janet died. I thought it was a great idea - it was a flash on inspiration - and I planted several thousand oak trees.”

"Once it was completed we put seat in the field, overlooking the hill near where she used to live. I sometimes go down there, just to sit and think about things. It is a lovely and lasting tribute to her which will be here for years."

Winston, who owns an 112-acre farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, decided to seed housewife Janet's legacy after she died from heart failure in 1995, aged 50. The pair got married in nearby Stroud in 1962.

He created with the wood using small oak trees next to his farmhouse in the months after her death - marking out an acre-long heart with a large bushy hedge.

The entrance to the secret heart is only accessible from a track leading up to its tip.

Winston said: "We got people in especially to do it - there are several thousand trees. We planted large oak trees around the edge of the heart then decided to put a hedge around it too.The heart points towards Wotton Hill, where Janet is from.”

"We plant daffodils in the middle that come up in the spring - it looks great. I go out there from time to time and sit in the seat I created. I also flew over it myself about five years ago.”

Winston's memorial was shown in all its glory after keen hot air balloonist Andy Collett, 42, from Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, soared over the wood last week.

The transport businessman could not believe his eyes when he discovered the symbol of love hidden among the trees.

He said: "I have my own balloon and am quite a regular flyer - but this was the most amazing sight I have ever seen from the sky.”

"It was a perfect heart hidden away from view - you would not know it was there.You can just imagine the love story."

1℃ love

In a cold winter, a couple had to move out from the luxury villa because of bankruptcy. The husband worked day and night to support the family but with no care of his wife. So she thought, “he doesn't love me any more, he just cares his business…not me”。

One day, she began to take a bath, he stopped her at the door, “Let me take it first, okay?”

“Why not let me shower first,” she asked. “I was tired, sweetie, you take it later, okay?” She was totally depressed.

On a morose day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer, a few words blurred her eyes…it was his diary:

Today, I was quite sad, she asked me why I was always taking the bath first, and I said to her, I was exhausted. She was unhappy, in her mind, I treated her not as well as usual, but how can I do? I was not as rich as before! We moved to the small apartment, there was only a shower in the bathroom, it was so cold to take a shower in such a freezing winter. But I found that if one person took the shower first, the room could get a little warm, so every time I rushed to the bathroom first. I was thinking that, when she took the shower, the room would get warmer, at least 1℃， 2℃ or 3℃。

Now I can't give her comfortable life, bring her the luxury restaurant, buy expensive dresses for her, but at least, I can give her 1℃ love.

Love should be:get married in an Irish way!

Ireland believes in Catholicism and prohibited divorce. Therefore, when a couple get married, they are supposed to choose the time of their marriage which ranges from 1 year to 100 years. The most impressive of this law of marriage lies in the inverse relationship between the time of marriage and the fees to be charged.

When I was having a chit-chat with my colleague, she asked me all of a sudden, “How did your husband propose to you at that time? Was it romantic?” I was numbed by her words for a while, and then burst into laughter, “My husband is a bit rigid, so do you think his proposal would be romantic?” Though I said in that way, I felt very sweet in heart when thinking of my husband’s proposing to me. To be honest, his proposal was actually by no means romantic without flowers, diamond ring and any other surprise. It was even could not be called “marriage proposal”.

At that time, he gave me a book about Ireland, which, now I am thinking was a long-established plan. At the weekend when I finished the book, he came to me and asked me whether I had finished the book. Seeing me nod my head, he felt very pleased and said to me in a low but happy voice, “If you like, we can get married in an Irish way!”

At that time, my heart was totally convinced by the romantic and sacred law of marriage in Ireland. The book told me that Ireland believes in Catholicism and prohibited divorce. Therefore, when a couple get married, they are supposed to choose the time of their marriage which ranges from 1 year to 100 years. The most impressive of this law of marriage lies in the inverse relationship between the time of marriage and the fees to be charged. If you choose 1 year for your marriage, you shall pay as much as 2, 000 sterling pounds plus receiving a dictionary-thick reference of rights and responsibilities. But if you choose 100 years, then you are very lucky and only need to pay 0.5 pound for the fees and receive a short but heart-touching note in all women’s eyes: “I have no idea the clear rights and responsibilities for my left hand to my right hand, my right leg to my left leg, my left eye to my right eye and my right sphere of brain to the left. Actually, they are an integrated whole and live by each other and cheer for each other. Finally, I would like this pink note to convey my best wishes to your one-hundred-year marriage! May you live happily all your lives!”

I still remember at that time that I said to my husband, “Ok, so sir, please choose the time you expect our marriage to last!” He said happily, “I even do not bother to think about it and would definitely choose 100 years because it is highly money-saving!”

Later, I married him, a man who would like to stay with me for 100 years. Although we are not bound by the law of marriage in Ireland, we have cherished our vow to discipline ourselves all the time. We have married like Irish people and look on our marriage as a life-long commitment and spare no effort to nourish it hand in hand as we are gradually aging together.

I also sincerely hope that every pair of lovers in the world can get married like Irish people and love and protect each other whole-heartedly by committing themselves to a 100-year marriage.