Love is in the air!

WHEN striking Ailsa Camm caught the eye of Hampshire's most eligible bachelor, the Hon Ralph Montagu, he knew he wanted to find out more.

They were both at a reception being hosted by Lord Montagu - and within minutes of starting a conversation they discovered they had plenty in common.

"I don't think it was love at first sight - but there was certainly a strong interest at first sight," recalled the elfin faced Ailsa.

She was at Beaulieu representing the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), the only all-woman military unit in the UK.

"I was at the reception that had been called to mark the 60th anniversary of the Special Operations Executive.

"During the war, my organisation provided a number of the women who were trained as secret agents and many of them served in occupied France.

"I was in uniform - and it is a 1930s design that hasn't changed at all over the years.

"Ralph started talking to me about the uniform because he was curious - and as we chatted we immediately discovered a shared loved of Vaughan Williams," said Ailsa, 43, who works as the archives officer for FANY.

At that first meeting Ralph, 43, a keen photographer, took Ailsa's picture in her uniform - and he cleverly secured her address and telephone number so he could send her a copy.

"Sure enough the photo arrived in the post and with it was a card from Ralph asking if I would like to have dinner with him.

"And when we did meet up, we continued our conversation," she said.

Another shared interest is a fascination with steam railway engines.

"When we first met Ailsa didn't mention that only a few weeks before she had done an engine drivers' course on the Bluebell line - and subsequently she has driven trains in Poland too," said Ralph.

As a little girl Ailsa admitted she dreamed of marrying a handsome nobleman - but never did she think her daydreams may one day become reality.

"There was a period in my life when I fantasised about it but that was when I was 13 and had fallen out of love for the first time.

"I was waiting for a duke to come along - and then for a long time I didn't want to get married at all. I just wanted to have a career," she said.

The couple have been dating for about four years and it was only when Ailsa came to live with Ralph while her home was renovated, that their thoughts turned to marriage.

"For the past two and a bit years we have spent most weekends together.

"When Ailsa moved in it was an opportunity to test what it would be like to live together.

"I'm not going to say too much about how I proposed because it was personal but we were on holiday in Scotland in the wild outdoors," he said.

Ailsa's engagement ring isn't a family ring - they didn't look right on her hand, she explained. Instead she opted for an antique design dating back to 1860.

"Nothing is known about the provenance of it but I like it because the first letter of each of the stones spells DEAREST - there's a diamond, an emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz.

"I had something completely different in mind but when you see what's right you just know," she said.

Ailsa hasn't selected a dress and hopes she will still have time to have a design made for her.

The couple have yet to name the day, but they are looking at some time in April and the service will most likely take place in Belgium where Ailsa's parents live.

Her mother is Chinese and her father is English - they met when her mother's family arrived from Shanghai as refugees just before the Second World War.

"My father is from the Lake District and they met at night school when my mother came to live in Hertfordshire," said Ailsa.

The wedding will be relatively low key with family and close friends and a larger gathering will take place in the summer at Beaulieu.

Ralph said: "I do feel quite sorry for Ailsa. She is coming to live in a whole new place.

"I've got a huge family and suddenly she has been thrust into the middle of this completely different way of life."

But Ailsa need not worry because she has made a great ally of her father-in-law-to-be, Lord Montagu.

"Ailsa and I share a great deal of interests but there are a couple of areas that we don't have in common.

"I'm not into wine or opera but luckily my father is into both of these things so he can share this with Ailsa.

"It has been nice to have such universal approval for Ailsa from everyone I know," he said.

Once they are married, Ailsa plans to continue with her own work but the couple will also embark on more joint projects.

"As a graphic designer I have taken a great interest in the look of all the material we produce for visitors and having Ailsa's talent for writing will be a great bonus for us," said Ralph.

The couple are looking forward to developing their interest in architecture and doing more to raise the profile of the Abbey ruins.

"It's not being presented in the best way at the moment so we want to look at that for the future," said Ralph.

And their shared love of steam trains could also become a feature at Beaulieu in the coming years.

"There is room for a steam railway and perhaps it could run from the village to Bucklers Hard.

"I have been dreaming about it for years and I have a serious collector of narrow gauge locomotives in South Africa who is offering engines, rolling stock and track.

"All this is great but we would still have to lay the track which involves planning and finance - neither of which we have at the moment.

"But without my asking for it many people have offered their support and enthusiasm," said Ralph.

If it does see the light of day, be sure to check out who is on the footplate - chances are it will be Ailsa.