An ex-soldier reunited with his first love after a bizarre dream prompted him to get back in touch via Facebook – 35 years after they broke up.
Teacher Louise Tennant, now 56, met handsome squaddie Dave Evans, now 61, on a holiday in Gibraltar when they were in their 20s.
The pair dated for a year but lost touch when he was sent to the Falklands War in 1982, and they both went on to meet others and have children.
![The pair pictured in the early 1980s](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/09/29/13/44DA00C600000578-4933358-image-m-17_1506687404571.jpg)
Teacher Louise Tennant, now 56, met handsome squaddie Dave Evans, now 61, on a holiday in Gibraltar when they were in their 20s. Pictured: Today, left, and in the early 1980s
But the cab driver was prompted to get back in touch when he had a dream about Louise wearing a nurse’s uniform feeding the wild monkeys in Gibraltar.
He looked her up on Facebook and sent her a message – and less than a minute later they were reminiscing about their first dates.
A year on, Ms Tennant, from Coventry and Mr Evans, from the Isle of Man, are now a couple – 35 years after they broke up.
Mr Evans said: ‘I just had this dream about her and wondered how she was doing, so I had a look on Facebook.
‘In the dream we were in Gibraltar and she was wearing a white nurse’s uniform with a red cross, and we were feeding the wild monkeys.
‘I sent her a message and 40 seconds later she messaged me back. The rest is history.’
Ms Tennant said: ‘It’s strange when you see someone after all that time – I don’t think I’d have recognised him otherwise, but when we started talking it all seemed the same. We’re just older and greyer, and hopefully wiser.’
Louise Tennant, 56, swore off men after raising her children’s father vanished, leaving her to raise their two children alone.
For the past 23 years she had enjoyed her independence and had no desire to date anyone.
![The cab driver was prompted to get back in touch when he had a dream about Louise wearing a nurse's uniform feeding the wild monkeys in Gibraltar. The pair are pictured on holiday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/09/29/13/44D9FF2700000578-4933358-image-a-26_1506687729133.jpg)
The cab driver was prompted to get back in touch when he had a dream about Louise wearing a nurse’s uniform feeding the wild monkeys in Gibraltar. The pair are pictured on holiday
![Ms Tennant, from Coventry and Mr Evans, from the Isle of Man, are now a couple - 35 years after they broke up](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/09/29/13/44D9FF2F00000578-4933358-image-m-27_1506687731215.jpg)
Ms Tennant, from Coventry and Mr Evans, from the Isle of Man, are now a couple – 35 years after they broke up
Ms Tennant was enjoying a week away with friends to celebrate the end of their nursing training when she met Mr Evans in a nightclub.
The 25-year-old was stationed on the island with the British Army and Ms Evans, then 20, was charmed straight away.
After dating for a year, the couple drifted apart Ms Tennant was daunted by the squaddie’s transient lifestyle in the army.
![Despite living in different parts of the country, the loved-up couple see each other a couple of times a month and enjoy meeting up for exotic holidays](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/09/29/13/44DA002500000578-4933358-image-m-36_1506687822359.jpg)
Despite living in different parts of the country, the loved-up couple see each other a couple of times a month and enjoy meeting up for exotic holidays
When he was sent to the south Atlantic island to fight Argentine forces, they lost touch all together.
But in October 2016, Ms Tennant had logged onto Facebook and saw a message from her old flame.
‘Dave said he was coming over to see family on the mainland, from the Isle of Man where he lives and he wanted to see me, but I thought ‘oh my god,’ she said.
‘He said ‘come on, if it’s not right we’ll leave it.’
Twice-divorced Mr Evans, also a grandfather, came to visit – sleeping in the spare room – and a month later the pair had fallen in love.
Now the couple have met each other’s families – including some people who they both met decades before.
Ms Tennant added: ‘When we met I lived with my parents and six siblings – it was fairly chaotic. He used to come and visit and we’d go to the pub or go out for meals.
‘When I introduced my dad to Dave, I told them they’d met each other before, but neither remembered.
‘I’d never forgotten about Dave but I didn’t fret over it either.’
![After dating for a year, the couple drifted apart Ms Tennant was daunted by the squaddie's transient lifestyle in the army. Pictured: Today](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/09/29/13/44DA007900000578-4933358-image-m-37_1506687847864.jpg)
![The couple in the early 1980s](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/09/29/13/44DA00CA00000578-4933358-image-a-38_1506687858825.jpg)
After dating for a year, the couple drifted apart Ms Tennant was daunted by the squaddie’s transient lifestyle in the army. Pictured: Today, left, and in the early 1980s
Despite living in different parts of the country, the loved-up couple see each other a couple of times a month and enjoy meeting up for exotic holidays.
‘We speak on the phone every single day and send messages when we’re apart,’ said Louise, who had been single for two decades before she re-met Dave.
‘I never thought I would love another man again and I was quite happily resigned to it. But he’s given me true love and happiness. It has changed my life.’
Mr Evans added: ‘She’s still the same – I tease her for being posh.
‘She’s got a teacher voice and she can be a bit stern, and I tell her “you’re not in the classroom now. We’re having a great time together”.’
![Ms Tennant said: 'I never thought I would love another man again and I was quite happily resigned to it. But he's given me true love and happiness. It has changed my life'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/09/29/13/44DA00BE00000578-4933358-image-a-29_1506687757301.jpg)
Ms Tennant said: ‘I never thought I would love another man again and I was quite happily resigned to it. But he’s given me true love and happiness. It has changed my life’