Childhood sweethearts who were forced to split 23 years ago are reunited....

Michael and Sharon started going out with each other back in 1979 when he was 15 and she was 13 years old. Their relationship lasted only 9 months before their parents decided to stop them seeing each other.

Michael is blind and was sent away to a residential school. He came home every 6 weeks or so, and when home Sharon used to bunk off school to spend as much time as possible with him. Both sets of parents disapproved of this and eventually forced the pair to stop seeing each other.

Both Michael and Sharon were devastated by their parents decision and Sharon remembers spending at least 6 weeks in the front room of her parents' house listening to 'The Carnival is Over' by the Seekers.

Like most teenage crushes the pain eventually healed and they both went on to marry but both relationships failed. When Michael got divorced in 1991 he started trying to find Sharon but without success. Then about 2 months ago fate intervened.

Sharon was nearly run over by a car, the driver of which turned out to be someone she’d once dated who knew Michael. He recognised her and told her that Michael was looking for her. She arrived at Michael’s house and when he answered the door simply said, "Hello Michael it’s Sharon, do you remember me?"

All this took place four weeks ago and after a whirlwind first week together Michael asked Sharon to marry him. She felt it was too soon but Michael was very persuasive and after two weeks she agreed to marry him. They plan to marry once Sharon’s divorce comes through.

Michael’s parents are delighted that they are now a couple again. Sharon’s parents died a few years ago, but she feels that would have given the couple their blessing.