A couple have married 35 years after they first met - despite living on opposite sides of the world. Childhood sweethearts Carolyn Walker, 51, and Ian Cook, 50, met as teenagers in 1979 in Frome, Somerset, and fell madly in love. They dated for two years and has dreams of tying the knot but they lost touch when Ian emigrated to Australia with his family. Long lost love: Childhood sweethearts Carolyn Walker, 51, and Ian Cook, 50, met as teenagers in Somerset and fell in love. After losing touch for decades, they reunited in 2011 and married in December 2013 . Good old days: The pair (pictured in 1979) were each other's first loves and dated for two years before their parents banned them from getting engaged. Soon after, Ian's family moved to Australia and they lost touch . Decades later, Ian found Carolyn on the website Friends Reunited. Their online conversations led to Carolyn making a huge leap of faith and leaving her life in England behind to be reunited with her lost love. She bought a one way ticket to Australia and finally fulfilled her dream to marry Ian in December 2013. She said of her  marriage: 'I feel very lucky; it feels like I've won the lottery. I've never been happier. I never used to believe in fate - now I do. We were meant to be together.' The pair first met at school where Ian, 14, was in 15-year-old Carolyn's younger sister Joanne's year. The pair picturd as teenagers met at school in Frome, Somerset, and dated for two years . Perfect match: 'We were inseparable from the moment we met,' Carolyn (pictured with Ian in 1979) said of her former beau. 'It was proper first love. We wanted to get engaged, but our parents said no' Flashback: In 2011, Carolyn (pictured with Ian at his mum's house in 1978) received a message from her former flame on dating site Friends Reunited . 'We were inseparable from the moment we met,' she said. 'It was proper first love. We wanted to get engaged, but our parents said no.' Carolyn was 'devastated' when Ian moved away. Although they got on with their separate lives, Carolyn never married, and while Ian had a marriage that ended, neither of them had children. 'I think he must have always been in the back of my mind. I never ever wanted to marry or start a family with anybody,' Carolyn said. They could have met again in 1990 when Carolyn visited Adelaide with her younger sister for a six-month holiday, but in the end she got cold feet. Leap of faith: The pair (pictured in 1979) exchanged a flurry of messages and phone calls, and five months after the first message Carolyn booked a one-way flight to Australia to be reunited with Ian . We both knew that something was still there,' said Carolyn (pictured in 1978 with Ian). 'Before I even left England we knew that we were going to be together' She said: 'We were going to knock on Ian's door but the morning we were going to do it, I chickened out. 'I regretted that big time when I got home. But obviously the time wasn't right for us.' Twenty years later, in May 2010, a shocked Carolyn received a message out of the blue from Ian on the website Friends Reunited. 'I was on a girls' night out with my sister and I saw this message from Ian Cook and I thought "THE Ian Cook?! It can't be!"' she said. The message read: 'Hi, I'm not sure if you're the right person I'm looking for, but have you got a sister called Jo?' At last: The couple finally married on 29 December 2013 - 35 years after they first fell in love . Carolyn said of her new marriage: 'I've never been happier. I never used to believe in fate - now I do' Tied the knot: Carolyn and Ian strike a pose on their wedding day . They exchanged a flurry of messages and two days later, they heard each other's voices for the first time in more than 30 years. Carolyn admits she was unsettled by his Australian accent, but she was also surprised by how natural it felt to speak to Ian on the phone, even after so many years. 'It was so weird, it was like we had spoken last week. We chatted for about three hours that first time,' she said. Just five months later, Carolyn took a gamble by booking a one-way ticket to Australia for a reunion with Ian - and she hasn't returned since. 'We both knew that something was still there; before I even left England we knew that we were going to be together,' she explained. Matching tattoos: Within a month of their October reunion, Carolyn and Ian got each other's names tattooed on their wrists to show just how committed they were to each other . Still the same: 'We've got a lot older but I could see it was him, he hadn't changed that much,' Carolyn said of their reunion after three decades . 'I was determined this was going to be my life. I was nervous on the flight but Ian met me at the airport and we just ran into each other's arms. 'We've got a lot older but I could see it was him, he hadn't changed that much.' Within a month of their October reunion, Carolyn and Ian got each other's names tattooed on their wrists to show just how committed they were to each other. And on Christmas that year, Ian, an operations supervisor in the oil and gas industry, got down on one knee and proposed to his former childhood sweetheart. The couple finally married on 29 December 2013 - 35 years after they first fell in love. They had to wait for a permanent visa for Carolyn, who works in retail, and wanted all of her family to be able to come to Adelaide for their special day. In the family: The newlyweds pose for a photo with Carolyn's younger sister Jo, left . Family and friends joined the couple to celebrate their wedding in Australia . 'The weirdest thing is not being called Carolyn Walker any more! I was that name for 50 years, and now I'm a Mrs. I never felt I wanted to get married before, but this just felt right,' Carolyn said. 'Sometimes I have to pinch myself now, I think I might be dreaming all. It is unbelievable.' Carolyn’s parents Alan and Vera Walker, of Frome, Somerset, celebrated the couple's tale of true love. Alan, 78, said: 'It might sound silly but it was just meant to be. 'We obviously knew Ian when they were courting. He was a tearaway like they all are at that age but he was a good lad. He had to go with his parents to Australia, and we thought that was the end of it.' 'Sometimes I have to pinch myself now, I think I might be dreaming all. It is unbelievable,' said Carolyn . Happily ever after: The couple plan to live in Adelaide, where Ian works as an operations supervisor . The father was worried for Carolyn's gamble but realised they were adults and could take their own risks. 'I warned Carolyn that he might be a little, fat, bald man by now, because it was 35 years ago. But they recognised each other and that was it. 'It was almost as if it was all meant to happen. I suppose it was fate.' Her sister Joanne, 49, who works in retail, said: 'She is the most lucky woman alive!'
Carolyn Walker, 51, and Ian Cook, 50, met as teenagers at school in 1979 .
Dated for two years but lost touch when Ian's family moved to Australia .
In 2010, Ian found Carolyn on Friends Reunited .
After exchanging messages and calls, Carolyn booked a one-way ticket .
The couple married in 2013 - more than 30 years after they first fell in love .
A couple have married 35 years after they first met - despite living on opposite sides of the world. Childhood sweethearts Carolyn Walker, 51, and Ian Cook, 50, met as teenagers in 1979 in Frome, Somerset, and fell madly in love. They dated for two years and has dreams of tying the knot but they lost touch when Ian emigrated to Australia with his family. Long lost love: Childhood sweethearts Carolyn Walker, 51, and Ian Cook, 50, met as teenagers in Somerset and fell in love. After losing touch for decades, they reunited in 2011 and married in December 2013 . Good old days: The pair (pictured in 1979) were each other's first loves and dated for two years before their parents banned them from getting engaged. Soon after, Ian's family moved to Australia and they lost touch . Decades later, Ian found Carolyn on the website Friends Reunited. Their online conversations led to Carolyn making a huge leap of faith and leaving her life in England behind to be reunited with her lost love. She bought a one way ticket to Australia and finally fulfilled her dream to marry Ian in December 2013. She said of her marriage: 'I feel very lucky; it feels like I've won the lottery. I've never been happier. I never used to believe in fate - now I do. We were meant to be together.' The pair first met at school where Ian, 14, was in 15-year-old Carolyn's younger sister Joanne's year. The pair picturd as teenagers met at school in Frome, Somerset, and dated for two years . Perfect match: 'We were inseparable from the moment we met,' Carolyn (pictured with Ian in 1979) said of her former beau. 'It was proper first love. We wanted to get engaged, but our parents said no' Flashback: In 2011, Carolyn (pictured with Ian at his mum's house in 1978) received a message from her former flame on dating site Friends Reunited . 'We were inseparable from the moment we met,' she said. 'It was proper first love. We wanted to get engaged, but our parents said no.' Carolyn was 'devastated' when Ian moved away. Although they got on with their separate lives, Carolyn never married, and while Ian had a marriage that ended, neither of them had children. 'I think he must have always been in the back of my mind. I never ever wanted to marry or start a family with anybody,' Carolyn said. They could have met again in 1990 when Carolyn visited Adelaide with her younger sister for a six-month holiday, but in the end she got cold feet. Leap of faith: The pair (pictured in 1979) exchanged a flurry of messages and phone calls, and five months after the first message Carolyn booked a one-way flight to Australia to be reunited with Ian . We both knew that something was still there,' said Carolyn (pictured in 1978 with Ian). 'Before I even left England we knew that we were going to be together' She said: 'We were going to knock on Ian's door but the morning we were going to do it, I chickened out. 'I regretted that big time when I got home. But obviously the time wasn't right for us.' Twenty years later, in May 2010, a shocked Carolyn received a message out of the blue from Ian on the website Friends Reunited. 'I was on a girls' night out with my sister and I saw this message from Ian Cook and I thought "THE Ian Cook?! It can't be!"' she said. The message read: 'Hi, I'm not sure if you're the right person I'm looking for, but have you got a sister called Jo?' At last: The couple finally married on 29 December 2013 - 35 years after they first fell in love . Carolyn said of her new marriage: 'I've never been happier. I never used to believe in fate - now I do' Tied the knot: Carolyn and Ian strike a pose on their wedding day . They exchanged a flurry of messages and two days later, they heard each other's voices for the first time in more than 30 years. Carolyn admits she was unsettled by his Australian accent, but she was also surprised by how natural it felt to speak to Ian on the phone, even after so many years. 'It was so weird, it was like we had spoken last week. We chatted for about three hours that first time,' she said. Just five months later, Carolyn took a gamble by booking a one-way ticket to Australia for a reunion with Ian - and she hasn't returned since. 'We both knew that something was still there; before I even left England we knew that we were going to be together,' she explained. Matching tattoos: Within a month of their October reunion, Carolyn and Ian got each other's names tattooed on their wrists to show just how committed they were to each other . Still the same: 'We've got a lot older but I could see it was him, he hadn't changed that much,' Carolyn said of their reunion after three decades . 'I was determined this was going to be my life. I was nervous on the flight but Ian met me at the airport and we just ran into each other's arms. 'We've got a lot older but I could see it was him, he hadn't changed that much.' Within a month of their October reunion, Carolyn and Ian got each other's names tattooed on their wrists to show just how committed they were to each other. And on Christmas that year, Ian, an operations supervisor in the oil and gas industry, got down on one knee and proposed to his former childhood sweetheart. The couple finally married on 29 December 2013 - 35 years after they first fell in love. They had to wait for a permanent visa for Carolyn, who works in retail, and wanted all of her family to be able to come to Adelaide for their special day. In the family: The newlyweds pose for a photo with Carolyn's younger sister Jo, left . Family and friends joined the couple to celebrate their wedding in Australia . 'The weirdest thing is not being called Carolyn Walker any more! I was that name for 50 years, and now I'm a Mrs. I never felt I wanted to get married before, but this just felt right,' Carolyn said. 'Sometimes I have to pinch myself now, I think I might be dreaming all. It is unbelievable.' Carolyn’s parents Alan and Vera Walker, of Frome, Somerset, celebrated the couple's tale of true love. Alan, 78, said: 'It might sound silly but it was just meant to be. 'We obviously knew Ian when they were courting. He was a tearaway like they all are at that age but he was a good lad. He had to go with his parents to Australia, and we thought that was the end of it.' 'Sometimes I have to pinch myself now, I think I might be dreaming all. It is unbelievable,' said Carolyn . Happily ever after: The couple plan to live in Adelaide, where Ian works as an operations supervisor . The father was worried for Carolyn's gamble but realised they were adults and could take their own risks. 'I warned Carolyn that he might be a little, fat, bald man by now, because it was 35 years ago. But they recognised each other and that was it. 'It was almost as if it was all meant to happen. I suppose it was fate.' Her sister Joanne, 49, who works in retail, said: 'She is the most lucky woman alive!'
and Ian Cook, 50, met as teenagers in 1979 in knot but they lost touch when Ian emigrated to Childhood sweethearts Carolyn Walker, 51, and Ian engaged. Soon after, Ian's family moved to Ian found Carolyn on the website Friends the first message Carolyn booked a one-way flight first time in more than 30 years. Carolyn admits one-way ticket to Australia for a reunion with December 2013 - 35 years after they first fell in