ROMANCE SPECIAL
MIKE AND LARA HESKETH
Exeter Dental Centre’s toothsome pair put their long-term love down to teamwork
Above: Mike and Lara Hesketh
How long have you two been together? Since New Year’s Eve 2005, and married for eight years. And how did you meet? Mike: Lara had, six months previously, set her sister Holly up on an internet dating website and a lucky chap called Tim ended up dating her. I was a university friend of Tim’s and he invited me out to join the a gang of blonde bombshells for the night! Sounded like a no-brainer! Holly and Tim ended up getting married and we did too! Favourite places locally for a date night? Lara: Ooooh, this is a tricky one, as there are so many nice places to go now. We really enjoy going to our local pub in Exton, The Puffing Billy. It’s run by the nicest husband-and-wife team, Adam and Charlotte. We also really like the newlyopened Terrace bar and there is something really cool about The Old Firehouse for a cosy drink. What’s the most romantic thing each of you has ever done? Lara: At the risk at sounding super cheesy, Mike is probably one of the most romantic and generous men I know. He is great at putting on the ‘business front’ but behind this exterior he is really thoughtful. I have had some super nice 22 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk
STEPPING OUT Local venues laying on the romance for Valentine’s Day ‘Fantasy fairy tale’ is the dress code for The Terrace’s Once Upon A Time, The Enchanted Ball on 10 Feb, featuring live music from Bill Ding & The Sky Scrapers. . . Bellinis and live jazz are on offer at Woodbury Park’s Dinner & Jazz Evening on 17 Feb. . . And there’s a French-theme, comic cabaret, swing DJs and music from Fromage en Feu for the annual Vintage Valentine’s Ball at RAMM on 18 Feb. theterraceexeter.com woodburypark.co.uk rammuseum.org.uk
gestures over the years, but probably the most touching moment was when our second child Hugo was born. Mike turned up at the hospital with Poppy (aged two) carrying a big balloon and wearing a beautiful diamond eternity ring round her neck! Aww. Mike: When I returned for a short break during my tour to Afghanistan in 2007, Lara booked a suprise weekend in Edinburgh. What’s the secret to a long-term relationship/marriage? Lara: Well, my mum did the speech at our wedding and I always remember the moment when she said, “Now Michael, place your hand on Lara’s” – which he did – “Now remember, that will be the last time you will ever have the upper hand again!” Everyone roared with laughter. I would like to say the secret to a happy marriage is letting me have the upper hand, but in all honesty, the secret to our marriage so far has been teamwork, trust and really valuing one another. We run everything past one another and give each other loads of freedom, too. Mike: Well, we work together, obviously live together and have small children. So simple things like having a ‘no work chat at home’ rule, booking time for work meetings and then spending all weekend together entertaining the children helps. Lara is very patient with my idiosyncratic ways, which helps.