A former Leicester rugby player is seeking out an Irish girl he met while over in Ireland for a game in Lansdowne Road back in 1958.
Michael Freer says that he shared a “dance and a chat” with a girl called Bridie Fortune, and has never forgotten her.
Michael wrote his young love a letter when he returned home to England, and actually arranged for her to come over and visit him in 1961.
However, Michael’s job in the Metropolitan Police got in the way, and the reunion never happened: “I got a call from the office and I had to rush off to catch the train. I never got a contact number for her because I had to leave so quickly ... I’m annoyed because I let her down. She had bought tickets to see a film in the theatre and I didn’t get to pay her back ... I wouldn’t blame her if she was [annoyed].”
Michael later married and had children in Leicestershire. His wife passed away a number of years ago.
Michael has talked to two women of the same name over the last few weeks, but has come to nothing so far: “I think it’s kind of like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It’s amazing how many bloody Fortunes are in Ireland, it’s crazy.”
Here’s hoping for a happy ending in this long-lost love story.
