Newlyweds Reunited With Driver Who Took Them on the Journey of Their Lives

A newlywed couple who fell in love and married after meeting on a National Express coach have been reunited with the driver who took them on the journey of their lives – a year after they first met.

It was a case of coach aisle to down the aisle for Geoff and Patricia Lambert who met exactly a year ago and married following a fairytale whirlwind romance.

To mark their special anniversary, and in what is believed to be a first for the coach company, National Express surprised Geoff and Patricia by naming the exact seats in which they first met in after them in tribute to their incredible love story. National Express was also able to track down and arrange for the same driver, Arron Slater, to unveil the surprise.  

Geoff and Patricia were left speechless as the bespoke leather pink ‘love seats’ on board the 250 service from Stansted Airport to Colchester on which they met on a year ago were revealed – and delighted to see Mr Slater – who they recognised instantly.

They reveal how a twist of fate got their love on the road.

Twelve months ago, both were single and living on opposite sides of the world – Geoff in Auckland, New Zealand, and Patricia in Colchester, Essex.  

Geoff, 68, had been a widower for almost three years while Patricia, 66, was divorced in 2000 - however the chance encounter was to change their lives forever.

Geoff, originally from Sussex but now living in New Zealand was travelling to visit his family in Colchester after a long flight. Clearing immigration and customs in record time, he was pleased to be able to change his travel plans at the last minute, abandoning his pre-booked coach in favour of an earlier service from Stansted Airport.

Meanwhile, Patricia - whose original plans had also changed - had spent the day visiting family in Southend and boarded the coach at the airport on the way back to her home in Colchester, struggling with bags containing fragile items.

She spotted a vacant seat next to Geoff at the front of the coach, and, realising the extra legroom would help her with the awkward luggage, asked him if he wouldn’t mind if she took the seat.

Over the next hours of the journey on the A120 they got chatting, discovering they were both single and enjoyed each other’s company, before exchanging phone numbers in Colchester. Love blossomed over the next two months as the couple carried on seeing each other for the time Geoff was visiting his family.

Deciding they just had to see each other again, Patricia booked a flight to New Zealand and, once Geoff was back, phone calls and texts and letters continued while feelings grew, so much so it was an easy decision to pop the question.

Patricia quit her job at a car dealership to emigrate and the couple were married in the garden of their house in the Bay of Plenty on the North Island on 28th December 2015, on a hot New Zealand summer’s day.

Geoff said, “the amazing thing is that neither of us had planned to be on that particular coach that day and we had both independently changed our pre-booked travel arrangements only hours earlier. Was that fate or even guidance from above? Both of us have known good and lasting love in the past, both have loving families as well as great friends, but at the time were enjoying basically secure and stable lives happily alone.

“We were absolutely blown away by the coach seats and seeing Arron again, who we recognised straight away as we had been impressed at the time by his care and manner in making sure another customer was picked up in Braintree. It was totally unexpected!”

Patricia added, “Geoff and I found it very easy to talk to each other I thought he seemed kind and interesting. We discussed all sorts of things - where we both come from, the General Election and the recent birth of the new Princess Charlotte.

“I actually use National Express coaches around three times a month for visiting friends and children, but I never expected to meet my husband on board!”

Coach driver Arron Slater said, "as a coach driver you welcome all sorts of people on board, all of which have their own stories but it’s amazing to think that this particular journey was the start of an amazing love story. When we set out on the 250 that day we had no idea it would change people’s lives forever and it’s great to have played a part in it. It was great to be reunited with Geoff and Patricia again a year on and so clearly very happy together. I’ve got a taste for playing cupid now and hopefully I can help others find love too!”