Car crash blind dates, nuptial arguments and bizarre Valentine's Day proposals

Karen Errington

The Rat Inn, Anick, Northumberland

"Once we had a guy who rang ahead and asked if we could stick a bottle of our finest Chablis in the freezer! The FREEZER!

"Another time, one guy booked a table and told us he was going to propose to his girlfriend. He asked us to hide a bottle of Champagne and two glasses in the woods nearby (a 10-minute walk away) under a particular tree.

"I duly did but spent the next hour wondering if I had got the right tree or had they just played hide and seek in the woods. Anyway it turned out I had, and the guy had decorated the tree with flowers, photos and bunting after I'd gone, then took his girlfriend for a surprise stroll 'accidentally' coming across the fizz.

"For weeks after, people were coming in the pub and asking what the weird shrine in the woods was and whether someone had died there. Very odd indeed."

Heath Ball

The Red Lion & Sun, Highgate, north London

"It’s always a car crash on Valentine’s days. More couples have arguments than any other night.

"From the girlfriends expecting a marriage proposal, to the husband being on the phone too much, to the girlfriend expecting a Michelin-starred restaurant.

"A couple of years ago it kicked off and the girlfriend or wife threw her drink in her fella's face and at the same time managed to get some on the couple behind. 

"I like working, it makes me realise my missus tolerates a lot from me."

Cheryl Hickman,

The Bull Inn, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Last Valentine's Day there was a blind date where the lady got very drunk, basically because she didn't like him.

"Then she decided, mid meal, to ask one of the staff how to get out of the restaurant without him knowing. Not because he was scary or creepy, purely because they weren't a good match. They had even booked a bedroom to sleep over that night. As soon as he realised what had happened, he paid up and left! It was a bit awkward!

Lee Price

The Royal Pier, Aberystwyth

"The best I can remember is a leap year marriage proposal by a female in our bar.

"The male in question went a bit pale, and struggled to find an answer, so we announced it over the radio mic to a full house and asked for a show of hands. It was a resounding yes. He still sits at the bar, but doesn't smile as much."