GEMMA MURRAY and JOANNE SAVAGE ask local women about their best and worst Valentine’s memories
YES, it’s almost that time of year when beds are strewn with rose petals, boxes of chocolates are panic bought, saccharine cards are sent and pink teddy bears and balloons emblazoned with sickly messages pop up all over the show. Some familiar faces told us about their most cherished and most cringey memories of Valentine’s past..
Cathy Martin is director of BELFAST FASHIONWEEK. She is married and lives in Helen’s Bay.
“I used to think about and plan Valentine’s day so much more than I do now.
These days my husband Julian and I just exchange cards and one of us cooks the other a meal. Considering he does dinner most nights, it’s usually me who cooks for a treat. That’s all either of us really wants to be honest and now we like seeing what cards the kids have got and teasing them. My baby daughter is called Valentina, named after St Valentine, so it will always be special for her and last year my friend Brenda [Shankey] was alone on Valentine’s night so she came and spent the evening with baby Valentina and said it was the most delightful Valentine’s ever.
In terms of bad experiences, I don’t remember anything really awful but I do remember one guy from London sent me a really dodgy belt which he had hand-carved from leather and used a big red heart as a buckle. Bless his soul, he tried hard, but I didn’t like it at all.”
Justine Simpson is an artist who lives in Holywood.
“My best Valentine’s days have involved being given red roses and a card by the man I love. My absolute best experience was being taken away for a night and being surprised by the room being covered with red rose petals, chocolate hearts on the bed and champagne on ice, being given a beautiful antique compact, a Valentine’s card and of course red roses. Another was going to the Culloden for a romantic Valentine’s meal; it was lovely to dress up and dine out and be given a red rose.
My worst Valentine’s was giving the children and my ex-husband cards, and only getting cards back from the children. The romance was dead. I am now divorced, as life is short. A card would have shown he still cared!”
Katie Larmour is a model and presenter. She is in a relationship with golfer Harry Diamond.
“Unfortunately my boyfriend Harry is away this Valentine’s day, as he is playing golf for the Ireland team in South Africa for two weeks and will miss it, so we had our Valentine’s day before he left and had a lovely stay in the Four Seasons in Dublin. The last three years he’s spoilt me with the usual roses and chocolates but this year I got something different. I chose a beautiful painting from my art gallery at the Marine Court Hotel in Bangor. I picked the most exquisite oil of a vase of red roses instead of the real thing, it’s extra special because they’ll last forever.”
Lynette Fay is a presenter on BBC Radio Ulster.
“I’m a big softy and quite the romantic but I really disapprove of the material emphasis placed on February 14. It almost seems that this is the one day of the year when you must be romantic, regardless of what else is going on in your life. A romantic gesture means much more when done unexpectedly at some other time of the year and doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
I’ve received a few anonymous cards over the years and flowers too, which have been sent in to the BBC for me. I have to admit to being extremely flattered on these occasions.
I was taken out for a meal on Valentine’s Day once, and my date spent the entire time checking his phone for the results of a soccer match. He was incredibly distracted. Romantic, eh? I’ve refused to go out on February 14 ever since.
By far, the best day I ever had was a few years back when my niece and one of my nephews made me a beautiful Valentine’s card. It was an innocent, sweet and thoughtful gesture which almost reduced me to tears.”
Alison Fleming is a journalist at UTV. She is married to Damian and has three children.
“My most romantic Valentine’s was the first one I spent with my husband Damian. Although we were poor students, he took me out for a lovely meal. I don’t think I’ve ever had a disastrous Valentine’s day, although we usually have the, ‘it’s all too commercial’ conversation - only for Damian to buy me a card when I haven’t bought him one. I’m going to be well prepared this year and there may even be a gift.
“I think it’s a lovely tradition, although awful when you’re younger – especially if you don’t get a card when all your friends do. A lot of pressure!”
Katie Tumelty is an actress from Belfast currently starring in Mixed Marriage at the Lyric Theatre. She is engaged to Darrel.
“I’ve had way too many bad Valentine’s experiences to mention, but that all changed when I met my fiance Darrel. My best Valentine’s has been with him, of course. He surprised me with a champagne picnic in the snow, complete with fish, chips and mushy peas. It was so romantic and better than any candle-lit dinner in a crowded restaurant.”