When Ross Gazette reporter, Catherine Barkley, arrived at work on Wednesday, December 21st, she was expecting a normal, but busy day, as there was a very short deadline to produce a paper.

She came into the Broad Street office as normal, but unknown to her, Will Barradale-Smith, her boyfriend of nearly eight years, was ready and waiting to follow her into the building to ask her a very important question.

Will had booked an advert in the Ross Gazette, asking Catherine for her hand in marriage.

As soon as Catherine sat at her desk, ready to check her mountain of emails, Will appeared in the Ross Gazette office, with a newspaper, hot off the press.

He told her that he had placed an advert in the paper, which she assumed was for his tree surgery business. She flicked through the paper, looking for a lumberjack related advertisement, and she completely missed a very large box on page three, with her name in big bold capital letters.

Will told Catherine to look at page three again, and there she saw Will’s proposal.

He then got down on one knee, produced an elegant engagement ring, and asked her in person. Catherine, of course, said yes.

“It was a really magical way to propose, like something out of a fairytale.” Catherine gushed. “Will knows how important my job at the Ross Gazette is to me, so I don’t think there could have been a more perfect way to ‘pop the question’.”

She added: “I am really impressed that my team managed to keep this secret, and it is lovely that they all worked together to make it so special for me.”

Will had been planning the proposal for months. He asked permission from both Catherine’s father, Ian, who lives in English Bicknor, and her mother, Jane, from Monmouth.

He also brought his parents, Richard and Jane, along to the proposal for a some extra support. They watched from a café opposite, and soon rushed in to congratulate the happy couple.

Will and Catherine met in sixth form at Monmouth Comprehensive School, when they were both sixteen, and they are planning to tie the knot on June 16th 2018.

General Manager, Charlotte Reynolds commented: “It was hard to keep it secret as I knew about it for months! A lovely occasion in the office, and I am humbled that he wanted to include us in this special occasion.”

Since the news became public Catherine has been inundated with messages of goodwill, she has appeared on Hold the Front page website for journalists and is being interviewed for Radio.