REMEMBERING FAMOUS VALENTINES

Tomorrow is Valentines Day. Through history there have been many famous love stories. These are a few that have stuck in my mind.

The legend of Triston and Isolde took place in the Middle Ages. Like all love stories it begins with the two lovers meeting, she having to marry his uncle, and the two lives ending together in love and death because in life they could not be as one.

Antony & Cleopatra, histories most powerful lovers. After Ceasars death, who was Cleopatra's lover, Antony leaves Rome to go to Egypt to conquer. Instead he is conquered by Cleopatra. Their love was so strong that upon hearing of the rumour of her death Antony fell upon his own sword. Hearing this Cleopatra could not go on and as we all know took her life by asp.

Who does now know the story of Romeo & Juliet? Star-crossed lovers from families that hate each other meet, fall in love, and die. I detect a pattern here.

Now for the movie lovers. Tarzan & Jane. Girl goes on safari meets half naked gorgeous man and they spend the rest of their lives swinging through the jungle. Now that's a happy ending.

And who could forget Rhett & Scarlett. Spoiled rich little girl who loses her fortune and vows to get it back marries handsome rogue and fights his advances until one day she realizes she truly loves him but alas it is too late.

Now for the real lovers. Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart. The velvet voiced young beauty meets the gruff, tough guy movie star and melts his heart. They fall head over heals in love and stay that way until his far too early death. To this day Lauren Bacall says she has never had a love as great as Bogie.

Clark Gable & Carole Lombard were Hollywoods golden couple. The screwball comedy blonde brought out the best in the straight laced Silver Screen star. Her tragic death on a war bonds flight during the second world war brought the actor to his knees. He went to the bottle and never recovered from the loss of his true love.

When Katherine Hepburn met Spencer Tracy they not only became one of Hollywoods most famous on screen couples but they shared a love story that lasted until his death. Coming from very different backgrounds, hers very liberal and his very Catholic, so much so that he never divorced, they were like an old married couple right from the start. She never cared what others thought and their love affair was, for the time, unusually accepted.

Last but definately not least are the most famous Hollywood lovers as far as I am concerened. The gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor and the strong, handsome Richard Burton met and fell in love on the set of Cleopatra. He showered her with love and jewels and they fought like cats and dogs but they never fell out of love. Marrying each other twice they were divorced when he died. She is said to have received a letter from him days after his death asking her if he could come home. Now that is love.

These lovers may have had their ups and down and their tragedies but they have have one silver thread weaving them together....LOVE. They did it all for love. So no matter what happens there are some things that hold true.

Love makes the world go round.

Love conquers all.

All we need is love.