HOPELESS romantic Bernard Simmons has been racking his brains to make his wife Hanne the perfect Valentine card – a tough job after making a different card every year for the past four decades.

The dedicated doodler, 85, of Hawthorn Street, has amazed his sweetheart, 86, with a fresh design and new poetic greeting every St Valentine’s Day since they met 40 years ago.

This year is no exception and, although ideas ran a little short last year, he assures us he will continue his romantic mission.

Bernard, a former engineer, said: "I make a card for Hanne every year without fail and am running out of themes, but always think of something. I will keep making them, Hanne loves them and expects them."

Themes over the years have included time, hearts, shopping - and a giant card for inflation in 2006. Bernard incorporated a photo of Hanne dancing as a child in another card.

And as well as being well-crafted and designed Bernard’s cards are not complete without a touch of wit or sentiment for the greetings inside.

Bernard said: "I have set myself this task but will keep it up, it gives me something to do. I have enjoyed art since childhood and paint with watercolours.  I make my cards from all kinds of things.  One design had a small heart and a bigger heart behind it because these greetings are going between two hearts, not one. Hanne and I just gel together and she deserves these cards. She says I haven’t got a lot of patience but this is one thing I always make time for."

Some may say the lovebirds are an unlikely couple, as Hanne, originally from Germany, worked on a searchlight battery for the Luftwaffe during the war when Bernard was flying with the RAF.

Bernard said: "That’s the way life goes."

The couple, who have one child, a grandchild and a great grandchild, met in Wilmslow after the war and other than 10 years living in Germany after they retired have spent the rest of their married life in Wilmslow, where Hanne worked as a restaurant manager.

Hanne, who has saved all 40 of her precious cards, said: "My cards are always lovely, I look forward to getting them every year. They are always different and always beautiful.  I am counting the days until my next one."