Dear Lois – Address unknown,

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Unlike my letter to my father this is written to someone still alive though of unknown location, yes, you Lois Pegauson, the first girl I ever loved. It was way back in 1977 of course, during the educational cruise on the SS Uganda. We had just left Travemunde (Lubeck) in Southern Germany, bound for our last port of call, Copenhagen. My friends from the Manchester school thought they’d amuse themselves by arranging a blind date with a girl they met on the boat, so they were shocked to find I’d already found you. Well, actually, you found me. You practically stalked me. I had taken to my favourite spot, sitting on a quiet deck just staring at the water. You claimed you’d left your keys there which I knew was nonsense as I’d had the deck to myself for an hour, but I played along, and we ended up embracing. Our first true kiss, my first ever, was interrupted by an old man who thought we were being vulgar. We had just a week together before we sailed into Britain. We were inseparable. We were late getting back to the ship one day and had it been the next day it might have sailed without us. My teacher was not happy. Yours was actually with us when we missed the boat taxi back to the docks. On the last night at sea you fell in love with me and asked me if I loved you too. I naively said I wasn’t sure and that it was too big a question to answer so early on. That was a mistake. My feelings were love. Our last dance in each other’s arms was to Rod Stewart’s Sailing. We got breakfast together before we had to join our schools for disembarking. A few days later you phoned me from Edinburgh asking if we could meet. I was in Manchester. I knew it would hurt only meeting at best a few times a year. I started blathering excuses about how we should meet people closer to home. I didn’t mean it but you took it seriously and hung up. I never heard from you again. I have just one photo of you. A full film I took of you was lost by the developers. That really upset me. I still think and dream of you. I’ve looked for you online. No joy. I guess you are married now. I hope you are happy and you still think of me as I think of you. Love, Arthur xx Arthur Chappell