I met Jimmy at the wedding. As I walked nervously up the aisle, he turned and our eyes met for the first time. I knew then that he was the one for me. When I reached the top of the church , he smiled and winked at me as I took my place beside the bride.

I was chief bridesmaid for my best friend Julie, and Jimmy was best man to his brother Ray; Julies future husband.

Jimmy was working in England at the time and only flew in the day before the wedding so I had never met him. He had been home several times after Julie and Ray started going out together but our paths had never crossed.

During the ceremony he kept looking over at me and smiling; I smiled back and  tried not to go scarlet. Julie never told me how gorgeous he was, she just said he was the image of Ray. Although he did look like his brother, he was definitely better looking with his mop of dark hair,that curled just below his ears  ( It was the eighties!) and gorgeous dark green eyes. As we walked back down the aisle arm in arm behind the bride and groom, Jimmy whispered in my ear ‘Save the first dance for me’. I felt butterflies in my stomach and I think I was smiling more than Julie was until I saw some stick insect blonde hatchet faced one  at the back of the church giving me daggers looks. ‘Who’s your woman?’ I asked Rays sister Caroline,  the other bridesmaid. ‘That’s Bridget Campion’ she said. ‘Jimmys’ girlfriend’.