Fin and Sioned, Mike and C

 

One of the most compelling of TV shows, which we've watched together since the first series, is the BBC's Race Across the World. Not only do you get to see countries all over the world (sometimes even places you may have visited) but you get to share the highs and lows of the challenge for each pair of contestants and to see how they, and their relationships, change over the weeks of their journeys. 

At the younger end of the age range of contestants this year are Fin (18) and Sioned (19), who, incredibly, say they have been together for 5 years. From a small Welsh town, they are the least travelled of the pairs and for some reason their youth, closeness, and relative naivety evoked a flashback to my first few years with C. We used to be like that!

By a strange coincidence the last two books I've read were Maurice and Maralyn and The Salt Path - both accounts of journeys by loving couples who faced considerable hardships. Not that C and I have ever faced the catastrophes or tackled the challenges of any of these couples but you do wonder how you would respond in their shoes.

We met when C was 17 and I was 19. Up until then I'd had one date with a girl at uni and had had some trips out (borrowing mum's little Riley Elf) with a local girl (though I don't think she would have described me as a 'boyfriend') - but was otherwise a socially inept, shy, boshie but frankly insecure, teenager. It took about 5 months of what used to be called 'courting' (does this even still exist as a concept?) before I knew with absolute certainty - and to the exclusion of any other purpose or ambition - that this was the person I wanted to be with.

In the early years we had little money. We rented a furnished flat which consisted of a ground floor living  room, bedroom and kitchen which we all off a hallway shared with the occupants of the first floor and the second floor flats. Holidays involved borrowing mum's car and taking our small tent away - to Wales, then Cornwall, Scotland, The New Forest - and exploring these new places. In Llandudno we came across a passport photo booth and treated ourselves to a strip of 4 pictures and this became a holiday tradition. 

Looking back now I find it amazing that such a gauche pimply youth managed to end up with such a pretty girl.

"Tell me what is my life  

without your love?

Tell me who am I 

without you by my side?"

George Harrison 1970