Boyfriends, girlfriends, beaux, lovers, partners, wives, husbands.

The alcoholic theory is interesting but no. After having had several friends with alcoholic OHs I have come to the conclusion that it starts out as a social prop in a world where men are almost expected to be heavy drinkers, then is used to numb days when things don't go as expected, then becomes a 'necessity' as a relaxant. An awful lot is expected of men, by themselves as much as anything, and that applies increasingly to women. I used to blame myself though.

Schoolboy
Several students -

Accountant/husband/alcoholic/died at 58

Car restorer- liar -philanderer

Technical paper production manager -retired now and husband for 20 years

Just those with starring roles in my life.

Ex H #1 many and various, he kept walking out on jobs and expecting me to support him until he got the next one. Mainly hotel work.

Ex H #2 Plumber.

DP Warehouse worker. Bless him, he left the Estee Lauder warehouse where he lived to move 150 miles to be with me, took any job he could get, which happened to be emptying the bins, the street bins and sweeping sand back on to the beach. Didn't take long to get work in a factory, then get moved to the dispatch department.

Plumber
Musician
Poet
Lecturer
Artist
Company director( cheating bastard)

Farmer's son
Naval Engineer (the love of my life, should have married him, he died aged 42)
Medical student
Artist (very successful and famous now)
Engineer
Farmer, now in new career, married 38 years

What colourful lives you have all led!

Here's my list:
- schoolboy
- medical student - married him!

Two of my DDs have married their childhood sweethearts; one had 2 boyfriends before meeting OH. We are a boring lot! - but all happy.

How sad Loopylou about the love of your life dying so young and you not marrying him.

So pleased that the chap who I was besotted with dumped me, because he was a lying mind manipulating bastard, I must have been soft in the head. Oddly whenever I think I have got rid of him he turns up in one of my dreams.

I bet if we started a thread on our long lost loves we would be inundated with posts.

Painter and decorator
Engineer
Hotline Girl
Baker

The Hotline Girl was my husband!

Apprentice engineer
Numerous RAF boyfriends but married an Army man. Divorced after we both left the forces.
Painter and decorator/cheat
Property developer, good looking and plenty of cash but found him in bathroom wearing a pair of my knickers, so he had to go.
Carpenter
2nd marriage - engineering manager. Still together despite my brief reunion with the knicker-wearing property developer boyfriend who was then married/divorced and father of two. Hmmm... Interesting.

The knickers. by the way, were orange with large white flowers on. He Would often remark on them when I wore them. After the bathroom episode I chucked them in the dustbin.

Were they designers Knicks as they sound very unusual?

No, they were M & S as I recall and were nylon.....ugh!!

A quick run down of DH's careers would be as follows ........

Asphalt spreader.
Assistant in film and TV properties business.
Lorry driver (when we met)
Draughtsman.
Back to the asphalt.
Lorry driver.
Butcher.
Partner in Asphalt business.
Stage manager.
Lighting engineer.
Courier.
Back to Lorry driving again.
Retired.
Only had 50 years at work so couldn't fit anything else in

Schoolboys
Gas fitter
Electrician
Singer
Croupier
Nightclub manager
Rugby coach
Quantity surveyor
Racehorse trainer
Pro rugby player
Insurance broker
Printer - reader I married him!

Do you think men would remember their girlfriends in the detail that we remember our old boyfriends ?

I bet it is not the job we did that they would remember.

Ooooh now wouldn't that be a good idea NanKate if someone started a thread on lost loves....I dare you!

Well I am always up for a dare Margsus.

I don't have a lost love but there was someone who treated me badly and I was fool enough to be besotted with him, but that's young love for you. I haven't seen him for years thank goodness but he lives with someone I knew in my youth and she is welcome to the lying, manipulative bastard.

Fortunately I had a loving supportive family and a wonderfully (if pedantic husband of 43 years) so I was the lucky one.

I can fully understand how some girls from a deprived background can get involved with the wrong type of men and be used and abused. I hope I can encourage my two grandsons to treat their future girlfriends with respect and love.