Husband sends same Valentine’s card every year since 1979

Ken Myers, 73, has messages on the inside of the same card since 1979 - the year he married his sweetheart, Valerie.

The self-confessed romantic, who came up with his unique way of saying ‘I love you’ through his love of rhymes, has filled three pages of the card with scribblings from the past three decades.

And Ken, of Leeds, who used to work as a card designer back in the 1970s, even created the romantic card himself.

He said: “I worked in the industry for around 10 years and designed hundreds of cards, for big companies like Hallmark.

“I sent the card to Valerie in 1979, and then again in 1980. After that, I just carried on because it was a novelty.”

But despite his romantic tendencies, he and Valerie – who have five children, 12 grandchildren and a great grandchild – are celebrating St Valentine’s Day in a low key style by having a meal and exchanging cards.

Ken, who writes under the name Ken McCoy, has had 14 romantic novels published, all set in Leeds in the 1940s and 50s and his next one, called Almost a Hero, will be published on May 1 this year.

He is also a popular after-dinner speaker and has written many crime novels, including Mad Carew and Hammerhead.

Valerie, 65, added: “I do love the card and it’s become really special to me over the years. It’s in very good condition.

“I always make sure it’s in a safe place. One year, I put it in such a safe

place that I couldn’t find for a while afterwards.

“Ken is a very romantic husband. After 40 years of marriage, those little

touches definitely help to keep the magic alive.

“I think the secret to a long and happy marriage is to be friends. When the

first flushes of love disappear you have to like each other a lot. We make each

other laugh.”

Ken overcamebowel cancer a couple of years ago, while Valerie broke her wrists

when she fell at the airport on her way to Spain last year, so Ken has had to

do most of the household chores.

“He has been fabulous,” she said. “He’s really looked after me.”