We Found Love In The 80s Dawinder Bansal

Ian Bodenham and Ian Johns met during a night out in 1980s London. 

Ian J was young, good looking and ready for love. He was heading out to a club night at The Bell and he spotted a young man who he just couldn’t forget. Ian B was quite a shy person and therefore ignored Ian J’s many attempts to catch his attention. Ian J persisted and saw him again at a club night called Asylum at Heaven and this time around – they spoke, got together and it was instant chemistry.

A year later, they moved in together, then started a vintage clothes business and are now happily married. This episode will be released on the 37th anniversary of when they first got together – all those years ago at Heaven. Huge congratulations to them and may they enjoy many more years of love, laughter and good health together. 

Ian and Ian are both wonderfully stylish gentleman who are passionate about all things vintage and own a vintage clothes shop in London. 

Ian and Ian found love in 1984 and this is their love story. 

You can read their story and see their photographs on our website blog: https://www.wefoundloveinthe80s.com/post/5-ian-ian

If you'd like to get in touch or have a story to share, or have some suggestions then please send an email to wefoundloveinthe80s@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

x

Subash & Geeta met through matchmakers who knew both families well. They met at Geeta's house in April 1989, with both families present and were given just 20 minutes to speak to each other with a chaperone present who was Geeta's best friend. One week later, they were asked to make one of the most important decisions of their lives. They both said yes to getting married to each other and wedding preparations began immediately.  They share their experiences on discovering each other and falling in love after getting married. For anyone who is curious about traditional Indian weddings and family dynamics - this episode will be a fascinating listen. After Subash & Geeta's grown-up daughters left the family home, they realised that they needed to rekindle that spark as a couple and lovers. They talk openly about going to marriage counselling to revisit their shared values that rekindled their love for each other.

Subash & Geeta found love and had a traditional Indian wedding in August 1989.

You can read their story and see their photographs on our website blog: https://www.wefoundloveinthe80s.com/post/4-geeta-and-subash

If you'd like to get in touch or have a story to share, or have some suggestions then please send an email to wefoundloveinthe80s@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

x

Episode 5 of We Found Love In The 80s features our fifth couple - Alex & Ayan. They met while studying at Leicester Polytechnic in Autumn 1988. They were told to look out for each other at university by mutual friends and coincidentally ended up renting student houses on the same street, opposite one another. 

They shared some poignant discoveries about being in a mixed race relationship, the importance of kindness, persistence, safety & laughter.

This is a lovely story...

Ayan was very shy and she was brought up in Somalia for the first five years of her life and had to escape her father after her parents' marriage broke down. She talks about needing reassurance & safety which Alex provided & ultimately enabled Ayan to be herself. This is when their love blossomed.

You can read their story and see their photographs on our website blog: https://www.wefoundloveinthe80s.com/post/2-alex-and-ayan

If you'd like to get in touch or have a story to share, or have some suggestions then please send an email to wefoundloveinthe80s@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

x

Jitka and Mark met purely by chance when they were both students visiting Prague from different countries. Jitka was from Czechoslovakia and Mark from was from the UK. Their story could be the making of a Hollywood rom-com movie! 

Jitka was sitting on a bench, reading a map when a stranger asked her if she could speak English. It was Mark! Luckily she was one of the few people who could speak English in her country at the time. They began talking and ended up spending 3 days together, exploring the beautiful city of Prague and making some incredible memories together. Jitka and Mark found love in 1982, in the Old Town Square, Prague. They now live in Bristol. 

You can read their story and see their photographs on our website blog: https://www.wefoundloveinthe80s.com/post/6-jitka-mark

If you'd like to get in touch or have a story to share, or have some suggestions then please send an email to wefoundloveinthe80s@gmail.com. 

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

x

The story of Anne and Marius (sometimes referred to as Mark) started when they were 12 years old at primary school. They were best friends throughout school and university. “She had a boyfriend and I had a girlfriend and we cried on each others shoulders when things went wrong”.  One day, Mark realised that the love of his life was right in front of him, it was Anne. They found love in 1985 and got married on the 1st January 1986.

A very inspiring story of love and commitment to each other, no matter what difficulties life may bring.

You can read their story and see their photographs on our website blog: https://www.wefoundloveinthe80s.com/post/7-anne-mark

If you'd like to get in touch or have a story to share, please send an email to wefoundloveinthe80s@gmail.com

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

x

Saroj and Kamlesh (Saz and Kam) met in the student union bar while studying at Leicester Polytechnic in the early 1980s. They shared their ups and downs of married life, throwing off the shackles of outdated Indian traditions and culture of their parents. They lived together before they were married and also had an inter-caste love marriage – very unusual in those days when the traditional arranged marriage’s were the norm in South Asian communities in 1980s Britain. They did things differently and made their own rules together and share their ups and downs in this episode. 

A very inspiring story of love and commitment to each other, no matter what difficulties life may bring.  

You can read their story and see their photographs on our website blog: https://www.wefoundloveinthe80s.com/post/3-saroj-kamlesh

If you'd like to get in touch or have a story to share, please send an email to wefoundloveinthe80s@gmail.com

We hope you enjoy the podcast!

x