'We'll be swinging as jingle bells are ringing'

Gage and Olivia Masterson, from Lincolnshire, were four years into their marriage when they decided to explore the world of swinging

- LUCY ROBINSON

As she zipped up her floor-length ballgown and looked over at her husband, Gage, in his tuxedo, Olivia Masterson knew it was going to be a good night. Like many others up and down the country, the pair were ready for an evening filled with food, fizz and plenty of festive frivolity.

On the surface, their winter ball seemed like any other work party or family function, but the guestlist told a story that was a little more unusual. Rather than being surrounded by colleagues or relatives, the pair were about to be joined by 250 other swingers.

“People like to celebrate Christmas. You don’t often get to dress up in tuxedos and ballgowns unless you’re going to a work event at Christmas. It’s a nice way to celebrate the end of the year, to get dressed up, have a really good time and socialise with like-minded people. It’s a great way to end the year with a bang,” says Olivia, 32.

After first locking eyes 15 years ago while on a night out in Leeds, Olivia and Gage have been a couple ever since. “I was in the army and I wasn’t supposed to come home that weekend, but I did. A friend popped up on Facebook and invited me out,” says Gage, also 32. “As I was ready to go home, he said, ‘Hang on for a few minutes, I’ve got some friends coming,’ and then Olivia walked around the corner. She had this beaming white smile, came across as really friendly and even laughed at my bad jokes.”

The duo swapped numbers and began a relationship, eventually getting married on 31 July 2012. Despite having always had an “adventurous” sex life, it wasn’t until eight years ago they adopted a swinging lifestyle.

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