Love on the net? We just clicked!

INTERNET proposal . . . former classmates Ian Cox and Jo Morton, so happy together

LOVE is in the air for long-lost classmates Jo Morton and Ian Cox who are set to wed following a Valentine’s Day proposal on the internet.

The former North Chadderton School pupils, who lost touch 30 years ago, were reunited on the social networking site Facebook last April and started dating soon after.

On Monday, Ian used his Facebook profile to pop the question — with the help of his favourite singer David Bowie.

Jo, whose maiden name is Charles, said: “He told me to look on Facebook so I did. There was a message which said ‘Joanne Charles will you?’ and then he had added a YouTube link of the David Bowie song Be My Wife.

“I replied with ‘Yes, yes, yes, I will marry you’ and then the internet and our phones went crazy with people congratulating us.”

The pair first met at school in 1976 but had different circles of friends and Ian never revealed his true feelings for his classmate.

Jo, a credit controller of Huntingdon Avenue, Chadderton, said: “In school, he was the quiet lad at the back of the class while I was a bit more rowdy.

“I didn’t know that he fancied me throughout school — he never said anything.”

After leaving school the pair lost touch and Ian eventually settled in Bury.

It was only when their paths crossed again in April that true love blossomed.

Ian said: “I’d just started using Facebook and was getting in contact with mutual friends when I saw her profile and all the old feelings came back.

“I was too shy back then to tell her how I felt but this time I decided to ask her to be my Facebook friend.”

Jo said: “We were speaking to each the over the internet and getting on well.

“I thought he was really witty and a really sweet guy. We exchanged telephone numbers and he asked me out for a meal.

“We’ve been together ever since.”

They are now planning a low-key wedding next year and honeymoon in Santorini, Greece.

Ian’s daughter Emily (12) and Jo’s foster daughter Ella (6) will be bridesmaids, while her son James (18) will give her away.

Ian said: “I’d been planning on proposing for a while and there had been a few opportunities but I got it into my head that I’d do it on Valentine’s Day.

“I was confident she would say ‘yes’.”

Jo said: “I’ve been grinning from ear to ear since the proposal and feel all warm inside.

“I’ve had a few horrible relationships and difficult times over the years so I can’t believe this is happening.”