A charity shop customer has uncovered what she describes as 'one of the greatest love stories of all time' after buying a set of old postcards for 25p each. Poppy, who was shopping with friends, found the postcards in a local shop and said she still hasn't 'recovered' after reading them.
The postcards, dating from 1977 to 1979, were written by a woman named Sheila to a man called Dianu in Romania. The messages were full of love and longing, prompting Poppy and her friends to go into 'detective mode' to find out more.
Their research led them to a photo of the couple and an old interview with Dianu, which they translated from Romanian. The interview revealed how they met: Dianu was working in a hotel in Romania when Sheila arrived with a group of English tourists. He recalled, 'I met Sheila... I just know from then on my life would change for the better.'
Further investigation showed that Dianu moved to Lancashire, and Sheila was a principal librarian coordinating 17 libraries in Manchester. They married in 1985 and founded the Văratic Spiritual Cultural Center in Romania. Sheila passed away in 2015, and Dianu died in 2021.
Poppy said, 'We wanted to share this to make their love story go on for a little bit longer. We love your story Sheila and Dianu, and we're so glad we stumbled across it.'
