“We owe everything to Muddy Matches” – Annie and Roger

Can I interest you in a burnt sausage? How love sizzled over a campsite BBQ for Annie and farmer Roger.

When arable farmer Roger met NHS nurse Annie for a first real life meet of an impromptu barbecue on a remote beachside campsite, they could never have imagined it would lead to a marriage proposal over spag bol in their farmhouse kitchen.

The duo, from opposite sides of Wales, met on Muddy Matches in the summer of 2018, bonding over common interests and shared life experiences as they searched for a second shot of love having both left long-term marriages.

48-year-old Roger – a massive vintage tractor enthusiast – was inspired to the join the country life dating expert by a close shepherd friend who had recently found a perfect partner of his own on Muddy Matches. Annie, currently working night shifts in an NHS field hospital, had been encouraged by her brother to ‘think about dating again’, having spent 18 months readjusting to single life.

As an animal lover and camping fan who ‘enjoys a good hike but has a phobia of heights and once cried throughout a coastal path walk’, the traditional values for Muddy Matches were a natural fit for Annie, who grew up in the Peak District before moving to North Wales.

“I googled dating for countryside lovers and Muddy Matches was top of the list,” Annie tells us. “It appeared simple, honest, friendly and approachable. There were some intelligent folk.

“For my first foray into online dating, I felt empowered and in control. Roger looked at some other sites and felt it was like the frying pan into the fire.”

After building up a favourites list and messaging several people who caught her eye, she unearthed Roger, a generational family farmer, who had recently made the switch from livestock to arable and grazing four years ago.

They hit it off straight away, resulting in a hastily arranged first time meet at a campsite near Roger’s family farm – and away from prying eyes – in North Pembrokeshire. “Roger’s younger than me by 9 days and considers himself a toy boy” Annie laughs.

Within two months of commuting to make the relationship work, Annie had changed jobs and upped sticks from her family home in Cambridgeshire to move closer to her roots, and to Roger, in North Wales.

Engagement followed in January 2020 whilst the couple prepared spaghetti bolognaise together.

“We always make dinner together” Annie tells us. “There’s no wedding plans yet but we would go for something quiet followed by a big party with friends and family,”

Instead, next up on the rural bucket first, with Annie having learnt to drive both tractor and JCB during lockdown, is to ‘find a new ‘forever’ home for the family to settle into’. Out of choice, and with future adventure in mind, the farm is also up for sale; the pedigree Hereford cattle have already moved on to pastures new.

“We owe everything to Muddy Matches for bringing us together. We love and support each other unconditionally and believe we have both found our true love and our soulmate. We want a new life together.

“Loving Roger is easy. We haven’t had a row yet. We can speak our minds and talk about everything. Being honest and open from the start is something we are so grateful for.”

“After everything we have both been through, we can now show our kids what love actually looks like. “