25 years ago they sa id goodbye - now, at last, they wil l say 'I do' Allison Hunt and Len Whitley will this weekend become the first couple to get married after meeting again through the Friends Reunited website. Here, Allison tells their full, remarkable story.

Byline: Interview by IAN LEONARD

IT HAD been almost 25 years since I'd seen Len. Our relationship had ended in difficult circumstances, and we'd lost touch after drifting apart. But I'd never really forgotten about him.

I'd tried to find him before and I'd given up any realistic hope of meeting him again. But now, there he was, just the click of a button away. As I stared at his name on the computer screen, I felt a rush of excitement. Could Len really become a part of my life again?

I'd met Len after moving down to London with my family. We started dating when I was 16.

I'd got a job as a receptionist and used to pass the garage where Len worked every evening to catch the bus home. Len had obviously had his eye on me because one night he came over and asked me if I'd like a lift home.

He seemed nice enough. He was handsome - a bit of a charmer really - and had this cool, confident air about him, so naturally I said yes.

Inevitably, one thing led to another and he soon invited me out. It was all a new experience for me. Len was older and had dated girls before, but he was my first real boyfriend - and I can remember how I excited I felt.

London, in 1974, was a great place to be and Len and I really enjoyed going out to all the bars and clubs together. After a few months, we decided to move to Nottingham. Although, I was only 17 at the time, I'd always been independent and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to start a new life.

I knew we loved each another and if fate had dealt a different hand, I'm sure we would have ended up getting married. But at the time that hardly seemed important - just being together was enough.

We'd been in Nottingham for two years when we received the terrible news that was to tear us apart. Len's younger brother, Stephen, had died suddenly from a virus. The news had come as a real shock and Len knew his family needed his support.

"Mum's very sad and she's by herself, so I'll have to go and look after her, " he said to me.

It was a difficult decision to make, but his family were very close and he knew he had to return to London.

Naturally, I didn't want to be parted from him, so we decided to travel back together. It was a difficult time for us both - we'd known each other for three years and had spent almost every day together. But now, Len realised he had other responsibilties, while he went back home to look after his grieving mum I moved in with some friends.

WE TRIED to pick up the pieces but as we were living apart we didn't feel like a couple anymore, and the stress and strain caused by the loss of his brother had affected us badly. Within a couple of months, we'd drifted apart and we decided to stop seeing each other.

I remember feeling very upset and I spent many, long hours crying alone in my bedroom.

I knew how much I loved Len and all of my hopes and dreams of a happy life togther seemed to have disappeared. It wasn't a conscious decision, but we didn't keep in touch afterwards - and it seemed the only reminders I'd have of Len would be the diaries I'd kept.

I felt like I wanted to move on with my life, so at the end of 1978 I moved to Birmingham, where my mother was now living. Although Len was still at the back of my mind, I didn't want to tear myself up thinking what might have been.

Luckily, I managed to find work as a secretary and soon after started dating again. I'd met John, a lift engineer, through work. He was different to Len - it wasn't really his looks or personality I fell for - he was more the dependable type. Within 12 months we were married and we'd started a family. My first child Karen, was born in 1982, quickly followed by two more, Helene and Martin.

At the time I seemed quite contented but domestic life wasn't all bliss. John was working away a lot of the time, so I really only got to see him at weekends, which made life difficult.

After a while I became disillusioned. I told John I wanted a divorce, our marriage had lasted four years. It would be my responsibilty to look after our three children, Karen, three, Helene, two and one-year-old Martin.

So, yet again, my life was about to take a dramatic turn. I'd imagined it might be difficult coping with three young children but my life actually became easier.

It felt like I'd got my independence back and, inevitably, my thoughts would occasionally drift back to the good times I'd spent with Len. I coudn't help wondering what might have happened if we'd stayed in touch. Although I'd tried to trace him before I knew, realistically, there was little chance of success. "You've got your own life now, so get on with it, " I tried telling myself.

In 1991, I started spending a lot of weekends away from home. I'd developed a passion for walking and spent much of my time visiting North Wales, often with the children. Finally, I decided it would be better if we left the city, so I moved the family from Birmingham to Anglesey. It turned out to be a dream move. The children loved the countryside and setted well in school and the people in the village made us feel very welcome.

From time to time, I'd go and visit my mum, who'd moved back to London, and I'd always have a look for L.Whitney - Len's name - in the telephone directory. But whenever I contacted a number, hoping to find him, I was always disappointed. I knew, by now, that Len had probably got his own life. But we'd never really got to say goodbye - and it felt a part of my life was still missing. As the years went by, I gradually gave up hope of tracing him - I felt there was little else I could do. But after studying for a degree and returning to work, I started using computers a lot more. My two daughters also encouraged me, and I soon became familiar with all the computer jargon, websites, e-mail and so on.

Then, last November, I found out about the Friends Reunited website. I started contacting a few old school friends, but my neighbour, Wendy, suggested I should try contacting Len.

She'd said to me in the pub one evening: "You haven't stopped talking about this Len bloke, it must be worth giving it a go."

SO, the next day, I sat down at my computer. "There's probably thousands of Len Whitneys, " I thought to myself. Slowly, and carefully, I typed his name in. There was a pause for a few seconds then, to my surprise, just one name came up.

I sat there and stared at the screen. Just one Len Whitney, he was about the right age and from the right area in London - I couldn't believe my luck. I sent him an e-mail and asked if he'd ever lived in Nottingham and got the reply I'd been hoping for. But I still wasn't sure.

It was only when he confirmed other details about my sister that I finally knew I'd found him. Remarkably, Len hadn't even had his computer long, and had only registered his details on the website a few months earlier.

It was an unbelievable feeling - a mixture of joy and relief - I hadn't heard from Len in 25 years; now there he was at the end of my fingertips. When I told Wendy, she was delighted.

"Look at you, " she said, "you're behaving like a 16 year old." That's exactly how I felt.

Although I felt excited, I gave no thought to us rekindling our romance - I just felt happy because I'd found the missing piece to the jigsaw of my life. Within weeks, we'd made arrangements to meet in London.

I was very nervous beforehand. But Len had brought his two children Lenny, 10 and Charlie, 8, with him which helped break the ice. We'd agreed not to say too much when we first met, so we just gave each other a big hug before going for a meal together.

Over the next three days, we just sat and talked. Len's wife, I found out, had died tragically from breast cancer four years earlier. I told him about my divorce, but mostly we reminisced about the times we'd spent together.

The second time I met Len, it became obvious we felt more than friendship for each other, so I invited Len up to our home, in Cemaes Bay for Christmas.

On New Year's Eve, he popped the question.

He didn't quite get down on one knee, but I knew he meant it. "Will you marry me?" he asked.

After a couple of minutes, I gave him my answer: "Yes, Len, I'll marry you."

It's been a whirlwind romance - but I suppose we've known each other for 25 years!

Len's proposal came as a bit of a shock.

Although I knew we still had feelings for each other, I hadn't even given a thought to the idea.

After my divorce from my first husband I'd decided I would never remarry - and nothing could persuade me otherwise. Meeting Len again changed all that, and since the wedding was announced I've been walking on air. Some might say fate brought us back together but if it hadn't been for modern technology I might never have found Len.

Preparations for this Saturday's wedding have gone very well. Len and I decided we just wanted a simple ceremony at the Llangefni Register Office. After all, we're not young 20somethings anymore, we just want to enjoy our day together. I've chosen a smart, purple suit for the wedding - something I can use again for another occasion. My two daughters Karen, 20, and Helene,18, still live at home while Martin, 17, is serving with the Welsh Guards in Catterick. Len's two sons. Lenny and Charlie, have settled well in their new home.

We haven't planned where to go for our honeymoon yet, but it'll be somewhere in North Wales. I'm looking forward to married life; having a friend and companion and someone I can talk to and cuddle. And I can't wait to try out my cooking skills on Len!

My advice to any woman still looking to find "Mr Right" is keep looking - even if it takes you 25 years.

CAPTION(S):

REUNITED: Technology has finally brought Alison and Steve together again. Far left, how the Daily Post broke the news Main picture: GERALLT RADCLIFFE