Couple tie the knot after social media puts them back in touch - three decades later

The couple, who now live in South Shore, first met and dated back in the early 80s when David had come over to Blackpool to play ice hockey, and they met at the Pleasure Beach Ice Drone.

David had two friends from Toronto who had come to Blackpool for ice hockey for the Seagulls and urged him to join them.

But he moved back home to Canada and the pair lost touch. David got married, had a son, but eventually he and his wife grew apart. He rarely used social media, but one day looked on Facebook and was surprised to see a message from old flame Sheryl.

David, 57, said: “I don’t really use Facebook, but for some reason I looked at it and there was a message from Sheryl – asking if I was the same David McMichael who used to play ice hockey in Blackpool. The message had been there for about a year-and-a-half. We started texting and we spoke for about two weeks, almost 24 hours a day.

“During the 35 years, I would look for her name, just to see how she was and what she was up to. I had such fond memories.”

Sheryl, 53, who works as a business manager in the drinks industry, said: “I was heartbroken when David went back to Canada. I didn’t go to the ice rink again.

“I was in a relationship for quite a few years, but never married or had children. The relationship came to an end.

“One day I was looking on Facebook and just thought I would look for David and see how he was. As soon as I got the reply, we started messaging backwards and forwards.”

After a couple of weeks of chatting online, David came to visit.

David, who is retired, said: “Obviously time passed, but when I saw Sheryl again at the airport for the first time when I arrived at Manchester Airport, I saw her just as she was all those years ago.”

Sheryl said: “My heart was racing at the airport, waiting to meet him.”

After two years of chatting online, and going backwards and forwards to see each other, David proposed at Christmas 2017.

“My mom was there and Sheryl’s mum and all the presents had been opened, I went and got the ring and got down on one knee. I asked Sheryl to marry me and she didn’t say anything, at first!”

The couple got married in a small, private ceremony at the Netherwood Hotel, in Grange, in the Lakes.

The pair got in touch with The Gazette after seeing an archive photograph in Memory Lane, which featured a picture of them at the ice rink in 1984.