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Hearts were warmed on Coldharbour Lane on Thursday, as a great big proposal was displayed for the world to see on the Ritzy Cinema’s readograph.
‘Made me smile on the way to work this morning!’ said Faith.
‘Good on ya, Hannah!’ said Dee.
‘I hope she says yes!’ said Treeceratops.
But did she say YES? We found out!
Our craftily romantic proposer, Hannah Shanks, 28, put in extensive preparations to set up the big surprise for her first girlfriend (awww) of eighteen months, Katy LeLion.
‘I’d known for at least six months that I wanted to propose on the Ritzy’s board,’ said Hannah. ‘We had our first kiss outside it, and we love looking out for the personalised messages on it as we pass it every day on the way back and forth from work. But I just couldn't wait any longer to marry her. She’s a pretty exceptionally brilliant human being.’
Conspiring with Katy’s colleague Claire to get her a day off, Hannah asked the Ritzy to put the sign up the night before so it she and Katy could spot the sign on the next morning’s commute. Here it is, ready to go...
And preparing for the potential of an early discovery, Hannah instituted a shared ‘morning phone detox’ habit the week before, so Katy wouldn’t spot any spoiler-rific messages from friends who’d spotted the sign early. SNEAK LEVEL: MAXIMUM.
Aboard their usual bus the next morning, with Katy feeling a bit under the weather and Hannah, in her words, ‘absolute shitting myself’, it was time for the big reveal. Almost. ‘I kept trying to tell her she had the day off, but she just could not understand what I was saying. She’d just be like, ‘but I don't want to get off at this stop!’ But then she just saw bits of the sign through the trees...’
After alighting and waiting in an embarrassingly long time to actually get to the magic spot – ‘I hadn’t factored in how long it would take for the traffic lights to change so it felt like we were just crying and laughing for years and Katy was asking ‘so, uh, should I answer now?’ and I was saying ‘no no, hang on a bit more!’ – Hannah finally got down on one knee, popped the big question, and got the ‘yes’ she'd been waiting for.
‘Loads of people were taking photos and congratulating us, and it was just the best feeling. And the ring fit perfectly!’
‘The Ritzy staff were so lovely, they sent me a pic of the sign as soon as it was ready, and on the day they took pictures and treated us to a few proseccos on the house. Although, I don’t think I stopped crying all day!’
Congratulations from us!
SIGN ENVY? You too can requisition the Ritzy’s cinema board for your own personal use – it could be an equally memorable way to dump someone! Or simply use it as a giant IRL Twitter to impose your opinions on the local populace, so all of Brixton can realise that ‘PICKLES ARE TINY POISON CUCUMBERS FOR IDIOTS’. Also, 50% of the fee is shared with Brixton Soup Kitchen so you’ll be doing some good at the same time – contact the cinema to set it up.