Two Nottingham Express Transit (NET) colleagues have found love, with a shock proposal at NET’s 20th anniversary celebration sealing the deal for the couple’s next 20 years together, and more.
Gary and Nicola have worked at NET for 18 and 10 years respectively as a revenue protection officer and customer experience leader, and have been together for nine of those years, despite many of their colleagues having no idea. Nottingham’s tram network has played a big part in their lives for so many years, that Gary made the decision to cement their romance at the place they first fell in love.
When NET was preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a grand party for long-standing staff members, Gary made the decision to take the opportunity to pop the question in front of his team.
Gary said: “I first thought I’d do it on stage on a cruise that we had planned for the end of the year, but then when our work 20th anniversary came along, I thought it was the perfect opportunity. Becki, who planned the party, and all the senior team at NET were on board and doing what they could to help my plan – even if not many of them even knew we were a couple until I approached them about it.
“All I had to do was find a ring, in just under a week, which came with its own challenges.”
Nicola doesn’t wear any other rings, so Gary was up against the clock and had to find other creative ways to find her size.
Nicola said: “I remember walking into the kitchen. Gary owns lots of tools and he had them all out on the side, trying to find something to allegedly lend to a friend. He opened a box of washers and started messing around, giving a few to me, to see which one fitted my finger and I didn’t think anything of it.”
Gary said: “We didn’t speak about marriage at all so this would have been completely out of the blue. She didn’t expect a thing.”
As well as sharing an employer, and each other’s heart, Gary and Nicola have another thing in common – they've both been crowned ‘Employee of the Year’ by NET. While Gary took home the prize in 2022, in 2023 it was Nicola’s turn to receive recognition during NET’s 20th anniversary ball - the perfect opportunity for Gary to ask the question while Nicola was already centre stage.
Nicola said: “We had already done a private presentation of the Employee of the Year award in a green room upstairs, which was enough attention for me, so when I got called up again in front of everyone during dinner, I buried my head in my hands. Then when they asked Gary to join me on stage, I thought they were taking the mickey, but thankfully there was a good reason.”
Gary said: “My main goal was to embarrass Nicola as much as possible, but on the night I realised, it’s probably worse for me as I was doing this in front of colleagues I’ve worked with for 18 years. I’m a very emotional person, and it was very hard to try not to cry – although I was pleased when I didn’t have to keep this a secret from her any longer and we could enjoy our night.”
Not content with incorporating NET in the proposal plans, the couple will also be incorporating the popular network into their wedding day, and are working on plans to ride a tram to their upcoming nuptials next year.
Gary added: “We’re getting married in the centre of town, so we’re hoping to get the tram from our home to the ceremony. The company has always been very good to me, and we’re not the only couple there. There’s certainly a lot of love at NET.”
Chris Wright, managing director at NET said: “We absolutely love a love story at NET, so it was fantastic to get the chance to be a part of such a special occasion for two of our special colleagues. We wish Gary and Nicola the very best for their upcoming wedding and all the happiness in the world for the next stop in their romance.”
To find out more about NET go to https://www.thetram.net/