Do people still get engaged these days? Yes, of course they do, a friend of mine has just announced her engagement but she is not exactly in the first flush of young love - she got engaged on her 40th birthday!

But it does seem to me that not many young people announce their engagement these days - years ago the newspaper columns would be full each week of such announcements, telling the world of your intention to get married.

ROMANCE

Ah for the old romantic days when to get engaged meant you were betrothed (what an old fashioned word!) to your true love and would soon be married.

The suitor was supposed to get down on one knee and ask for your hand in marriage, after first of all asking your father for permission to marry his daughter.

But is it like that in real life? How many of us can honestly say our beloved got down on one knee? I can't!

My late husband proposed to me as we were walking back from the pub one lunchtime with work colleagues. One of the girls had got a new dress ring and I had been trying it on and on the walk back to the office my boyfriend said "Would you like an engagement ring of your own?" Of course I was delighted that our romance was being made official and that night he asked my father for permission to marry me - a bit daft considering I was 23 and my father was probably glad to get rid of me!!!

CHOOSING THE RING

The following day was a Saturday and we set off to choose the ring. He had already made up his mind that it had to be from the most prestigious jewellers in town.

We looked in the window and I had always thought I would like a diamond solitaire for an engagement ring, but there on one of the pads was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen - but the price tag was extortionate!!!

Amazingly the same ring seemed to jump out at my soon to be fiance and he asked if I liked it. I said "Yes, but have you seen the price!" Lovely man that he was, he said I was worth every penny so off we went into the jewellers.

POSH SHOP

It was a very posh shop and we were shown to a table in an alcove and asked to see the tray of rings. I did try on a couple of others but there was no doubt about it, the ring that had jumped out at both of us was THE one!

It was carefully packed into a velvet lined box and then placed in a posh carrier bag and my fiance went to pay. Only there was a problem - he realised he had left his cheque book in the car!!!! This was in the days before bank cards so it was somewhat embarrassing!!!! Unruffled, he just stated he would be back in a few minutes and rushed off to the car, leaving me sitting there feeling rather silly and hoping the snooty assistants would not think I had been dumped because he couldn't afford the ring!!!!!

Never mind, it was all sorted out and off we went, the carrier bag dangling on my arm - I was not going to wear the ring just yet.

CELEBRATION

Should we go out to lunch now, my fiance asked, so he could put the ring on my finger in style. But I wanted to get home and flash my diamonds at the family so off we went.

How disappointing!!!! My parents were out shopping and my sister and brother were also out, so there was nobody around. Nevertheless he put the ring on my finger and we had a glass of champagne and sat down to wait for everyone to arrive home.

SURPRISE

Our engagement came as a surprise to a lot of our friends, but particularly to colleagues when we both returned to work on the Monday morning. We had tried very hard to keep our romance low key and it seemed we had succeeded as when I proudly showed off my sparkling diamonds to the girls in the office, some of them asked "Well who have you got engaged to?" Who says office romances are really hot gossip!!! Ours certainly took a few by surprise, which all added to our excitement.

PLANNING

So now we were engaged, we received lots of lovely cards and gifts and decided on a wedding six months' ahead. It was all very exciting and romantic, planning our future together.

MISSING OUT

I do think these days young people miss out by not doing things in the order that we used to do - get engaged, get married, move in together and have kids.

I know to some people an engagement ring is an unnecessary expense, but to me it is a sign of commitment and I think any girl deserves this from a man if he truly loves her.

These days it seems an engagement ring is bought at any time, not as a declaration to the world that you are intending to spend the rest of your lives together.

OLD FASHIONED

Okay, I know a lot of you will think I am just an old fashioned romantic, but I still say getting engaged is a wonderful way to show how much you love each other and the ring a symbol of your love. So come on girls, revive the romance and insist on a sparkling ring if he wants to prove his love to you and wear it with pride, declaring your love for him.

It doesn't have to be an expensive ring - you can get some lovely diamonique from the QVC shopping channel and who will know but you?

Wearing that ring on the third finger of your left hand will tell the world that you are "spoken for" and that someone loves you enough to want everyone to know.

POSTCRIPT - after reading some of your comments on this review, just thought I should add that if there is a sudden rush of engagements being announced by Dooyooers, do be sure to let us all know!!!!