Guisborough: Couple find each other again after 31 years

Kate and Guenther Baer got married to each other in 2021

A couple who rekindled their love 31 years after a holiday romance are to set up home together.

Kate Pymm from Guisborough and Guenther Baer from Germany were 17 and 23 when they met while visiting Devon in 1989.

They would pen love letters for four years but lost contact, and went on to lead separate lives, with both entering marriages that would end in divorce.

But a chance discovery of their letters led to the pair re-establishing contact and tying the knot.

Kate had been visiting the South West along with her mum and best friend in 1989.

Recalling their first encounter, Kate, now 50, said: "I remember me and my mum went for a bite to eat in this beautiful village. We walked into the bar and I saw this gorgeous guy."

Guenther, now 57, had travelled to England to improve his language skills.

After deciding he resembled Magne Furuholmen from 1980s band A-ha, she struck up a conversation and they arranged to meet again the day after.

"We got chatting and hit it off but we only had a day-and-a-half before we headed off back to our homes," she said.

Kate and Guenther met in Devon in 1989

They exchanged addresses and kept their relationship going for two years, through lots of letters, "expensive" phone calls and the occasional visit.

But Kate decided the long-distance romance was too difficult to sustain and ended it in 1991.

"It got to be so difficult, it was heart-breaking, we both loved each other but unfortunately it was me that called time. I just said I can't see a way to make this work," Kate said.

They continued to write letters to each other up until 1993 when their contact ended.

Guenther went on to have three children, while Kate set up her own make-up business. Both married other people, and later divorced.

The couple are moving to Bavaria together

Then in November 2020, in the midst of the UK's second national Covid lockdown, serendipity intervened.

While searching for Christmas decorations Kate unearthed her trove of letters from her past love. She had kept hold of every single one.

"It was the first box that I found," she said. "I lifted out the letters, walked to the bedroom, put them all in date order and read through them from front to back.

"It was a really emotional weekend and it brought back memories."

For the next few weeks, Kate spent every day thinking about Guenther. Little did she know, he had spent the last eight years thinking about her.

Kate decided to find Guenther's address and wrote to him, but admitted "it took a while to find him" because "he's not on social media".

"The day I received her letter, I was gobsmacked. The moment I got the letter I had to pick up my phone and call her, I was really surprised and delighted," Guenther said.

'When it's right, it's right'

The pair finally met up in January 2021 after speaking every day since that phone call, which Kate clearly remembers was at 12:36 on 22 November.

She said: "I just loved him, it was so odd, it was so organic and I wanted to tell him I loved him."

They got married in Bavaria in December 2021.

And this week, Kate is preparing to leave Teesside behind to finally start her life with Guenther in Germany on Sunday.

Guenther said: "I have to say I can't be more grateful that she did what she did, to write me a letter."

She said: "Part of you thinks you've waited 31 years but also there was a lot of adventures in that time, we both had our own lives, Guenther had three children, I had a great business.

"It's been difficult, but when it's right, it's right, and I know it's right."