Tracey & Jon’s locked down first wedding anniversary

Muddy Matches couple celebrate first wedding anniversary in lockdown with prosecco and skinny dipping.

Paper, ruby, diamond… nowhere in the list of traditional or modern anniversary gifts does it recommend ‘self isolation’!

But that’s the situation Tracey, and her muddy match, Jon have found themselves in having just ‘celebrated’ their first wedding anniversary knee deep in a lockdown.

This time 12 months ago, Tracey and Jon tied the knot amongst family and friends in Snowdonia National Park; 19 months after meeting on Muddy Matches in August 2017.

“Hooray for us” Tracey told us from a more than socially acceptable distance. “We’ve drunk prosecco and swam naked in our swimming pool to celebrate 12 months of muddy marriage.”

Tracey throws a couple of monkey covering eyes and ears emojis our way. She’s not downbeat about her lockdown anniversary. Far from it in fact; after all this muddy couple are already making plans to celebrate with all the bows and whistles when the world gets back to a new normal.

“When lockdown is over, the first thing we are going to do is head down to the Red Lion in Trefeglwys, Powys with the dogs, plan to drink more and return to the gorgeous Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel where we got married for a meal” Tracey tells us with all the glee of someone who genuinely has something to look forward to might six weeks into a lockdown.

Tracey and Jon connected on Muddy Matches’ country online dating website after he’d made all the right moves to favourite her profile and take a liking to the photos.

“We had loads of muddy dates” she recalls. “Our first meet was at a country pub. 2 days later our real date was at a hunter trials at Berriewood, Shrewsbury. Jonathan had to pick me up and I was a little apprehensive about getting into a truck with a man i had just met but figured i would be safe with a horse in tow; pardon the pun. “He won his class though.”

Then the relationship went up a gear leading to the duo setting up home on a 100 acre sheep farm with horses, 7 dogs and a cat for company.

Home is Llanbrynmair in Powys, Mid Wales. It’s seriously muddy territory. The lawns are manicured; the raised beds are full bloom in the spring sunshine. It is the chocolate box of a window view that working from home was made for.

Tracey brings us a little down to earth though and takes the romance out of it all. “I work part-time as a Compliance Administrator. Jonathan works from home in IT Security” she tells us. “We also have a holiday cottage that we let out in the summer and Jon goes pheasant shooting. He cooks them and I eat them.”

As for her measures to stay sane and in good spirits during these less than certain times; we continue to like Tracey’s style. “I’ve made a switch to Rose wine.” She says playfully. “To be honest, we are currently lambing so we don’t notice a lot of difference in our daily lives but it is nice to work together and ride our horses.”

And when it comes to muddy credentials as a couple, Tracey leaves us with no uncertainly. “How much muddy can you get than living together on a farm?” she asks us. “We actually only lived 40 minutes from each other but i sold my house and moved to the farm.”

“The muddiest thing we do together on a daily basis is mucking out now” she laughs, relaxed.

And as for Muddy Matches experience? “It is an excellent tonic for loneliness. We have told friends that we met on Muddy Matches and believe some have joined. Our advice is to keep going and be prepared to go out of your comfort zone.

“It’s well worth it; we found our soulmates.”