They say you never forget your first love and Christine Rowe and Alan Burton's chance meeting proved they were destined to be together.

After 40 years apart, the Bradford couple's eyes met across a crowded card shop and within a week they had planned to walk down the aisle.

Now the love-struck pair are counting down the days to their fairytale wedding at Bradford Cathedral on Friday.

Christine, 59, of Wrose, divorced her first husband 25 years ago and vowed never to wed again.

But when she was reunited with her teenage sweetheart Alan she knew they were meant for each other.

She said: "He was my love, my very first love and I've talked about him all of my life.

"Everything is wonderful now and the children love Alan. Even our mums who knew each other when we were younger and are now in their 80s are over the moon.

"It's as if everything was meant to be. It's fate.

"Alan is such a romantic because I get flowers and gifts every week.

"I'm so happy and I'm really excited about the wedding. I can't wait.

"My stomach does somersaults every time I see him."

The pair started dating at the age of 15 after a chance meeting at the Glenroyal picture house in Shipley.

"We hit it off instantly," added Christine, who has three children and is now retired. "But after three years we decided to go our separate ways.

"There was no big fall out or anything, we just wanted different things."

Alan, also 59, of Thackley, married and had two children but his wife died.

The Rolls Royce engineer said when his eyes met with Christine's again he went weak at the knees.

"She used to do that to me years ago and she is doing it all over again now," he said.

"It's unbelievable. It's like being in a time warp.

"I'm very, very happy. I never expected to meet anybody again but it is going to be brilliant."

Their meeting in the card shop last November kept them chatting for an hour-and-a-half and they have hardly been apart since.

"For that first week we didn't stop holding hands and when Alan proposed I accepted immediately.

"It's all been so exciting.

"There are so many people who I have met up with again and the wedding is going to be wonderful."