A ROMANTIC pensioner who travelled the world in search of love recently married a woman he met over a bag of apples in Tesco, Pembroke Dock.

John Goode, aged 66, of Military Road, Pennar, had travelled as far afield as America, China, India and Eygpt in the hope of finding the woman of his dreams before he saw Shirley Cochrane, aged 62, from Tenby, in his local supermarket, last October.

Eight months after meeting, the happy couple secretly eloped, getting married in Bath on May 6th.

They now live together in Gilgal Terrace, Pennar.

Shirley told the Western Telegraph: "We were both considering buying a bag of apples which were buy one, get one free' and I said I wouldn't be able to eat two bags of apples.

"John told me he was getting a bag anyway and if I met him for a coffee when I had finished my shopping I could have the free one."

Enticed to the Tesco caf with the promise of free apples Shirley immediately took to John and the couple arranged to go out to dinner later that week.

Since their courtship began they have been to Italy and Tunisia together and are currently planning a belated honeymoon in New York this Christmas.

Shirley said: "We are really happy together, to think we could so easily have missed each other, that would have been a great shame."

John added: "We have the same interests and get on really well, everything in the garden is rosy."

The pair have six children and 12 grandchildren between them.

John's 34-year-old son Mark, from Brewery Street, Pembroke Dock, said: "We were really surprised when dad phoned up and said he had just got married. It's definitely the first time he has done anything like this. I'm really pleased for both of them and we all think it is romantic."