Firstly my thanks go to my brother Alistair, if it had not been for his need for additional exam tuition in Geography Beth and I may never have met.
My step mother, and good friend Pam was working at a local school where she became friends with a number of the staff. When Alistair needed some additional tuition to assist him with this forthcoming exams, she turned to Beth for help. Beth would visit the family home on a regular basis and lock herself away in the back room with my 18 year old brother (should that concern me?).
At the time I was not living at home, so knew nothing of these arrangements and very little about Beth. I did bump into her on the rare occasions I visited when she was providing tuition but our paths would cross briefly and without incident.
It was not until a family barbeque in May 2000 that I really got to know Beth, although my introduction could have been a little more reserved. Picture the scene - I walk round the corner of the house towards the BBQ with a beer in hand (nothing changes) proudly proclaiming to anyone who would listen that I had recently broken a Futon bed in a night of passion/lust with another girl (I actually broke it by tripping and falling on it, rather than anything you have just imagined). Not exactly the way to impress your future wife !
I sat down next to Beth (who had been abandoned by the rest of my family) and talked to her whilst she cooked on the BBQ, I don't recall anything of what was said but I do know we spoke for most of the evening. Something about her impressed and intrigued me, but being my usual self I did nothing about it.
Later the same year, I happened to call round one Sunday afternoon to visit my family. Beth just happened to be there visiting Pam. It wasn't long before Beth and I carried on the conversations we had left a couple months ago, but this time there was more substance and a little flirting going on...We were invited to stay for tea, and did so....On parting that evening, we exchanged e-mail addresses.....and it wasn't too long after that before we had our 1st date (That is another story on its own). Things developed and the relationship started and its been great ever since.