Last week, the Diary was swept away by a story of virtual love, devoting our entire column to the courtship of Peter Davison, 23, a music teacher at Farnham Heath End school in Surrey and Jane Middlebrook, a 30-year-old language teacher living in Milan.
Peter and Jane had met in the staffroom forum on the TES website (www.tes.co.ukstaffroom) and before long were having seven-hour-long MSN Messenger conversations. Finally Jane decides, having never met Peter, to move back to the UK, to start a new life with him.
Well, Jane flew in from Milan last week and the internet lovers met for the first time in the Heathrow arrivals lounge. So how did it go?
Poor old Peter said it started a bit nightmarishly: “I was very, very nervous and then it was announced that her flight was late. It was a terrible wait. There was an internet kiosk at the airport so I posted a few messages on the TES website while I was waiting.”
When the lovebirds eventually did come face to face: “She appeared looking very tired, and laden down with a lot of hand luggage,” Peter tells us, before adding: “Jane is officially the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in real life.” Phew!
Jane takes up the story: “The big worry was that I would see him and wouldn’t like him. I was terrified and I think he was as well. But we do get on.” She assures us Peter is “as romantic and lovely and helpful and considerate” as he was in the virtual world. Jane, who has spent more than seven years abroad, living in Italy and France, adds: “I’m back in England now and I’m looking for jobs in his area.” We wish them luck.
