P322 Teletext 322 Fjb14 02:28:01 LOVE IS IN THE AIR ——————————————————————————————————————— Valentine's Day will see Britain consumed with passion in the once-a-year orgy of hearts and flowers, sweets and sweet nothings. It brings out the romantic in most of us, but its history and traditions are based in the mists of time. The saint thought to be associated with February 14 was a celibate bishop who was beheaded for his faith in Rome around AD 270 on the orders of the Emperor Claudius. ——————————————————————————————————1/6—— Send a Valentine 388 Greetings 397 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page News poll Letters PapersP322 Teletext 322 Fjb14 02:24:12 LOVE IS IN THE AIR ——————————————————————————————————————— One story says the bishop who became St Valentine agreed to marry young couples secretly in defiance of a ban on wedlock by the Emperor Claudius. Claudius was apparently convinced that married men would not want to serve in his army. Valentine's feast day was thought to have been chosen as the lovers' day because it was close to the pagan fertility festival of Lupercalia. ——————————————————————————————————2/6—— Headlines 300 News in Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page News poll Letters PapersP322 Teletext 322 Fjb14 02:47:48 LOVE IS IN THE AIR ——————————————————————————————————————— Today, only the Americans buy more cards and love tokens than the romantic British for their sweethearts on February 14. The Times dreamt up the idea of printing Valentine messages in newspapers more than 20 years ago and the tradition has snowballed. The average British lover relies on last-minute inspiration to spring a Valentine's Day surprise, according to research by TUB Trustcard. ——————————————————————————————————3/6—— Send a Valentine 388 Greetings 397 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page News poll Letters PapersP322 Teletext 322 Fjb14 02:27:01 LOVE IS IN THE AIR ——————————————————————————————————————— Around 80% of 1,000 people questioned in a TUB survey said they had no special intentions on Valentine's Day. The remaining 20% were "passion plotters" with long-standing Valentine's Day plans. BT expects a rush of messages to be processed through its paging bureau and has increased the number of operators to cope with the expected surge. Recent messages have included: "Not tired, no headache, phone off hook - come home!" ——————————————————————————————————4/6—— Headlines 300 News in Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page News poll Letters PapersP322 Teletext 322 Fjb14 02:31:11 LOVE IS IN THE AIR ——————————————————————————————————————— London's romantics can light up their lover's life - with a Valentine message flashed up over Piccadilly Circus. The Spectacolor advertising board has been set aside all day for messages of undying love. Diane and Nigel Johnson from the Scottish Highlands were named Lovers of the Year in a competition sponsored by Woolworths and Chat magazine. They first set eyes on each other when they flashed their lights in passing cars. ——————————————————————————————————5/6—— Send a Valentine 388 Greetings 397 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page News poll Letters PapersP322 Teletext 322 Fjb14 02:42:40 LOVE IS IN THE AIR ——————————————————————————————————————— For those who decide on Valentine's Day to take the big plunge into marriage, Wedding and Home Magazine estimates the average cost of a wedding to be £8,653. The food of love is no longer chocolate, claims Tesco. The supermarket giant says that exotic fruit are the healthiest aphrodisiacs. British women are twice as likely to want to wind up a romantic evening with a pudding rather than a night of passion, according to an MOP survey. ——————————————————————————————————6/6—— Headlines 300 News in Focus 320 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page News poll Letters Papers