Winston and Janet Howes got married in Shroud, South Gloucestershire, England
in 1962. She was the love of his life, and they had the perfect marriage.
The couple moved into a charming farmhouse on 112 acres in the English countryside,
where Janet gave birth to their son a short time later. Over the years, Winston and
Janet came to share a bond that most only dream of.
Winston thought nothing could go wrong at their small family farm. Sadly, after
33 years of marriage, heart failure put an end to one of the most incredible love
stories of all time.
Janet died in 1995, and Winston had a hard time coping with the loss. His lovely
wife was gone and he was devastated. His perfect life had turned into a nightmare.
The grieving husband came up with an excellent idea. He cleared the area around the
family farm and planted 6000 oak trees. "I thought it was a great idea - it was a
flash of inspiration - and I planted several thousand oak trees," Winston explained.
"Once it was completed we put the seat in the field, overlooking the hill near where
she used to live. I sometimes go down there, just to sit and think about things. It
is a lovely and lasting tribute to her which will be here for years."
The small seedlings turned into the most beautiful oak forest with a heart-shaped
space inside. It was the best tribute to Janet and all the love she had in her
heart. The world has a chance to see what real love looks like.
Over 17 years, very few people regarded the oak forest as anything special, until
they saw the clearing from the sky once the trees were fully grown. The first
person to see the special shape within the forest was hot air balloonist, Andy
Collett. While riding in his hot air balloon over Winston's farmland, he noticed
the clearing. It was heart-shaped.
Andy said, "The most amazing sight I'd ever seen from the sky."
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