Kissing on Piers...

It started with a kiss. Now Hazel Costin and Jay Preller's romance is taking them on a round-Britain tour from pier to eternity.

The couple aim to have a kiss on every pier in the British Isles before they get married at the end of Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier where they first met – and they plan to publish a love story with a difference about their seaside challenge

Last weekend they travelled to the Isle of Man to visit Queen's Pier in Ramsey and its locked gates were specially opened so the lovebirds could be photographed having their kiss.

The structure is deemed too dangerous, however, for them to take a walk to the end but the couple hope to return one day - if and when the pier is restored to its former glory.

Hazel, 39, a teacher, and self-employed decorator Jay, 51, initially made friends on the internet but arranged to meet for a coffee on the Grand Pier in their home town of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, in July 2007.

'We hit it off straight away, becoming "an item" a few weeks later!' said Hazel. 'We had our first kiss on the end of the pier.'

A devastating blaze at the Grand Pier in July the following year and a blaze at Fleetwood a few weeks later led to the idea of the book.

Hazel explained: 'We suggested there wouldn't be any piers left to have a kiss at the end of unless we went round to see them all.'

Ramsey's Queen's Pier is the 35th of 56 British piers they have visited so far and they plan to get married at the end of Weston's Grand Pier as soon as it's refurbished, hopefully in late May 2010.

Their book is provisionally titled From Piers to Eternity.

'We are a bit overawed at all the attention as we didn't expect to be taken this seriously, but have met some lovely people who have made visiting some of the beautiful piers possible!' said Hazel.

During their visit to Queen's Pier, the couple were given honorary life membership of the Friends of Queen's Pier by the group's chairman Fred Hodgson.

Hazel said of the pier: 'It's such a shame – it's the sixth longest pier in Britain. It looks better than we thought it would be. Structurally it's sound. We will return when they save it!'

Jay said he was convinced a use could be found for the pier.

He said: 'If people see a pier they've got to walk to the end – they can't just walk past. Refurbishing the pier will bring people into Ramsey. If they could make the entrance bigger may be they could use it for a motorbike museum.'

A Council of Ministers working party is due to report back in the autumn with its options for refurbishing the pier.

Fred said: 'It is common knowledge that piers are a great draw for the public.

'A few years ago a couple had some of their wedding day photos taken during our open day and now Hazel and Jay have come over to celebrate the part that piers played in their lives.

'Perhaps we have stumbled on yet another use for the pier as a venue for weddings. I hope to see them both back on the Island to walk the full length together in the near future.'

Source: Isle of Man Today