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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Couple proves that true love waits | Couple proves that true love waits |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Alan and Irene Brogan married 45 years after being separated by officials at a children's home in the 1950s. The couple told BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire show about being reunited after spending decades apart. | Alan and Irene Brogan married 45 years after being separated by officials at a children's home in the 1950s. The couple told BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire show about being reunited after spending decades apart. |
| Irene was nine and Alan was seven when they met in a Sunderland children's home. It was 1959, and their mothers had died. | Irene was nine and Alan was seven when they met in a Sunderland children's home. It was 1959, and their mothers had died. |
| "As soon as we met in the doorway, we both knew instantly that we would become friends," Irene said. "We just did everything together." | "As soon as we met in the doorway, we both knew instantly that we would become friends," Irene said. "We just did everything together." |
| Irene and Alan shortly before their wedding | Irene and Alan shortly before their wedding |
| But Alan says he was moved to another orphanage in Sunderland when officials became concerned about the nature of their relationship. | But Alan says he was moved to another orphanage in Sunderland when officials became concerned about the nature of their relationship. |
| "They thought boys and girls shouldn't get too close in case anything inappropriate might occur", said Alan, now 56. | "They thought boys and girls shouldn't get too close in case anything inappropriate might occur", said Alan, now 56. |
| Irene, now 58, was told that he had been adopted by a family in Whitby. | Irene, now 58, was told that he had been adopted by a family in Whitby. |
| Alan explained to BBC Radio 5 Live: "In one sense, we became each other's family, even though we'd had our friendship in secret." | Alan explained to BBC Radio 5 Live: "In one sense, we became each other's family, even though we'd had our friendship in secret." |
| "When they tore that apart, I felt the one secure thing inside of me was gone, and I became extremely determined to get back to Irene to tell her what had happened." | "When they tore that apart, I felt the one secure thing inside of me was gone, and I became extremely determined to get back to Irene to tell her what had happened." |
| 'Worst and best day' | 'Worst and best day' |
| But Alan's attempts to contact Irene failed, and Irene's search for Alan also came to nothing. The pair continued to live separate lives and both went on to marry other people. | But Alan's attempts to contact Irene failed, and Irene's search for Alan also came to nothing. The pair continued to live separate lives and both went on to marry other people. |
| Irene insisted: "I knew in my heart of hearts it was Alan that I should have been married to, and I just had to wait that little bit longer for him." | Irene insisted: "I knew in my heart of hearts it was Alan that I should have been married to, and I just had to wait that little bit longer for him." |
| Irene first met Alan in a Sunderland children's home | Irene first met Alan in a Sunderland children's home |
| The pair was reunited in the late 1990s, when Alan went to meet his then-partner at a gym where Irene worked. | The pair was reunited in the late 1990s, when Alan went to meet his then-partner at a gym where Irene worked. |
| "It was probably the worst and the best day I've ever experienced," Alan told BBC 5 Live. | "It was probably the worst and the best day I've ever experienced," Alan told BBC 5 Live. |
| "We had a vague idea it was each other, and I stood looking at her, and waited, and over a small period of time, the mists began to clear and I began to recognise her. | "We had a vague idea it was each other, and I stood looking at her, and waited, and over a small period of time, the mists began to clear and I began to recognise her. |
| "And I just felt like throwing her over my shoulder and running down the street with her." | "And I just felt like throwing her over my shoulder and running down the street with her." |
| This, however, was not to be, and both felt unable to re-connect. | This, however, was not to be, and both felt unable to re-connect. |
| "Inside my heart was torn apart," remembered Irene, "because I knew that I couldn't express myself to him at that time, which I needed to - desperately." | "Inside my heart was torn apart," remembered Irene, "because I knew that I couldn't express myself to him at that time, which I needed to - desperately." |
| "It got more painful to go the gym and see Irene than it was not to go," added Alan, "because of the frustration of just not being able to communicate while we were there." | "It got more painful to go the gym and see Irene than it was not to go," added Alan, "because of the frustration of just not being able to communicate while we were there." |
| Chance meeting | Chance meeting |
| So despite many unanswered questions, they had to go their separate ways. Alan had a partner, and work commitments took him to Scotland. When his relationship ended, and he returned to Sunderland, Alan embarked on a mission to find Irene. | So despite many unanswered questions, they had to go their separate ways. Alan had a partner, and work commitments took him to Scotland. When his relationship ended, and he returned to Sunderland, Alan embarked on a mission to find Irene. |
| And in 2004 they had a chance meeting in Sunderland city centre, shortly after Irene had also ended a relationship. | And in 2004 they had a chance meeting in Sunderland city centre, shortly after Irene had also ended a relationship. |
| FROM BBC RADIO 5 LIVE More from BBC Radio 5 live | |
| "It was quite an extraordinary moment," said Alan. | "It was quite an extraordinary moment," said Alan. |
| "I heard Irene scream, and I knew it was her as soon as I heard the voice. | "I heard Irene scream, and I knew it was her as soon as I heard the voice. |
| "I turned round and she was standing there with her friend, and I don't even remember running to her. I just remember arriving and had her in my arms, and we were spinning around, shouting like crazy. | "I turned round and she was standing there with her friend, and I don't even remember running to her. I just remember arriving and had her in my arms, and we were spinning around, shouting like crazy. |
| "For the first time in 45 years, we could now be together without any restrictions. It was wonderful." | "For the first time in 45 years, we could now be together without any restrictions. It was wonderful." |
| The pair went on to marry in 2007. | The pair went on to marry in 2007. |
| "By the time we'd grown up," Alan told the programme, "there was a part of us that had learned to lock this down and keep it forever quiet. | "By the time we'd grown up," Alan told the programme, "there was a part of us that had learned to lock this down and keep it forever quiet. |
| "So for us - when we actually met again - and for the first time in those years, in a peculiar way, it became safe to talk again. It came out like a floodgate and we've never stopped talking since." | "So for us - when we actually met again - and for the first time in those years, in a peculiar way, it became safe to talk again. It came out like a floodgate and we've never stopped talking since." |
| Irene and Alan talked to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5 Live on 27 April. You can listen again on BBC iPlayer and class="inlineText" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/victoriaderbyshire/2009/04/love_story.html">comment at Victoria Derbyshire's blog . |