So 2008 dawns with the momentous news that Posh Boots and me are engaged to be married.
The proposal was made in the traditional way, on bended knee, in the music lounge at Hell's Waiting Room and gleefully and instantly accepted.
So here we are then. At the age of 50 I find myself planning married life with a lovely Wirral lass. Who'd have thought it?
Well, not me for a start, but then followers of this blog will already know that Posh Boots is rather special.
As I said to friends recently, in truth, she's the only bird I've ever been out with that doesn't irritate me. Not in any way at all.
And now she's more than my girlfriend. She's my fiancee. Happy New Year then! And Happy New Life (hopefully).
The past five months of courtship have been among the happiest days of my life. We've enjoyed the company of good friends in New Brighton and our life together has been played out to the soundtrack of Roddy Frame's albums The North Star, Surf and Western Skies ... ever since we discovered we both loved his signature tune Small World, from the brilliant Early Doors sitcom.
However, I have to admit that, as the Irish say, "drink had been taken" on the night the marriage proposal was made and accepted.
Me and Posh Boots, you see, had been out drinking with friends in New Brighton a couple of weeks before Christmas.
But the wine and other drinks did not cloud anyone's vision. Rather the booze underlined the seroius commitments being made. It was a case of In Vino Veritas (in wine, truth).
That evening we'd been carousing in Tallulah's Bar and then went on to Hell's Waiting Room.
When we found ourselves on our own in the music lounge there for a few minutes, that's when the proposal was made. It was kind of spontaneous, like a prayer from the heart.
But one of our pals, Duncan Kindlyface, walked into the music lounge just seconds after the question had been popped and while the down-on-bended-knees (yes, both knees in this case) scenario was still intact.
As he commented ... it wasn't immediately clear whether he had unwittingly witnessed a proposal of marriage or a sex act. Those weren't his exact words, mind.
So there you go, you're out with your girlfriend, enjoying a few bevvies with pals Duncan, Mini Marvin and Dixie the Jazzman, and before you can say "bloody Norah, this is an expensive business!" you've got hitched.
What remained, after that night, was for me to buy an engagement ring for Posh Boots. Hmmm. Bit of a problem that one, as I'm badly overdrawn currently, but I managed to magic up some sponduliks from my account anyway, and a generous friend from New Brighton granted me an emergency loan, so I was able to buy Posh Boots a magnificent rock (nine rocks actually, set in a mix of yellow and white gold).
She was happy for me to choose it, so I did, after getting expert advice.
The trouble is I got her ring size slightly wrong, so when I finally gave her the ring on Christmas morning, it didn't fit. She has big knuckles, apparently, for a laydee.
But between Christmas and New Year, I took her to Miltons jewellers in the St John's Precinct in Liverpool and they said they could make the necessary adjustments within the hour and we could come back and collect the ring later. Posh Boots let out a squeal of delight then.
And another one 70 minutes later when I slid the ring onto her finger.
Happy days!
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Wallasey Dave wrote...
Hi Steve
Many congratulations to you both! Wonderful news. I suppose the wedding will be at Wallasey Town Hall?
I know it's a location with huge resonance for you!
REGAN REPLIED: Cheers Dave. If WAllasey Town Hall was still the headquarters of the olf the old Wallasey Council, I'd consider it, but not while the bloated monster that is Wirral Council is in charge
Independence for Wallasey! Almost an Island!!
Posted by: Wallasey Dave | December 30, 2007 3:55 PM