City GIRL

Ali couldn't see the appeal of country living and handsome Connor wasn't going to change her mind - was he?

- Christine Pinfold

Spontaneity best friend Lexi's middle name. So it was my came as no surprise to me when she married the burly, fresh-faced Sam within six months of their heady holiday romance.

However, I never saw her as a farmer's wife buried deep in the countryside, having had no qualms about quitting her job in the glitzy fashion store where we both worked. Like me, she had always been a high-heeled, high-maintenance city girl.

So here I was, mini-skirted and fully made up (but with jeans and trainers packed at the bottom of my case), sitting on a train heading for Bramley Fields.

It was my first visit to Lexi and her husband since their marriage a few months ago and I was excited about seeing them both.

My love life had been pretty grim of late, since being dumped by my fiancé out of the blue. But despite my pledge that I was 'off men', it hadn't stopped Lexi making several kindly, but futile, attempts at playing Cupid.

Thankfully, when she moved to the farm, she gave up on trying to find me Mr Right, but Lexi always had to have some kind of project on the go. She was now trying to persuade me to leave my life in London behind, just as she had done.

Of course that wasn't going to happen. A bit of greenery was OK, but I liked concrete.

The sound of birdsong might be sweet, but I preferred the roar of traffic. So Lexi could keep country living, and I wished her well.

It was nearing the end of my journey when Lexi's call came through.

Breathless, her words came rushing out...

'Ali, you're not going to believe this, but Sam and I have just arrived in A&E. He tripped over one of the dogs and now... Here we are, a potential broken arm. We don't know yet.

He went down with such a thud!' 'Oh my goodness, Lex, I'm so sorry! Which dog?' I couldn't believe I said that, when poor Sam was obviously in such dire straits. But Lexi, being Lexi, just laughed.