A woman has recounted the devastating story of how she discovered her fiancé had been lying about his entire life just weeks before their wedding.
Most of us are guilty of telling the odd white lie when dating, but how far would you go in order to impress a potential significant other?
For Megan Clarke, 27, she thought she’d found her happy ever after when she begun a relationship with Lord Bertie Underwood, a charming horologist (someone who makes and repairs watches).
Although she wasn’t looking to settle down, Megan – who was 20 years old at the time and working as a bar manager on the Isle of Wright – was soon swept off her feet by the dashing Lord, who treated her to luxurious date nights and invited her to live in his lavish seafront home.
“He was charming, kind, thoughtful, loving. A real gentleman,” Megan recounted of their relationship during an interview with Metro.
The relationship moved quickly. Within a month the pair had said ‘I love you’ and Bertie would pop the question six months later, surprising Megan with a Cartier diamond ring.
However if things sound almost too good to be true, there’s a chance that something more sinister is lurking beneath the surface.
Bertie would request that Megan didn’t post his face on social media, claiming it was because of his dad’s high-ranking career in the navy (which in hindsight should be the second red flag after the name ‘Lord Bertie Underwood’).
However the fairytale would begin to unravel when Megan noticed letters arriving at their home under various different names. Bertie claimed they were for previous tenants, but the former bar manager was not convinced and decided to investigate further.
What Megan then discovered would bring her world crashing down entirely.
However not everything was as it seemed.
Megan later discovered that Bertie had multiple bank cards under various aliases and after googling the names, she uncovered that her Lord actually had a long track record for fraud, using names such as Robert Doughty and Robert Soanes-Madejski to get away with his crimes.
The truth devastated Megan, who would be dealt another crushing blow once the pair split – with ‘Bertie’ having racked up around £30,000 of debt in her name.
“We went to the police and action fraud,” she recalled to The Sun. “[But] unfortunately there wasn’t a great deal they could do.”
Megan has since worked to pay off the debts and rebuild her life while ‘Bertie’ has since been arrested on fraud charges and sentenced to five years in prison. However he escaped in 2022 and currently remains on the run.
The fact that ‘Bertie’ is now on the run is something which has left Megan unsettled, as she added to Metro that she would ‘freeze’ if she encountered him on the street.
Megan’s story appears as part of the series Love Cheats, which is available to watch on Channel 4.
Fantastic Appliance with a Stellar Reputation
Past Events
Imagine traveling back in time to the 1950s and 1960s, when rock ‘n’ roll and poodle skirts were popular. It was also a time of clever inventions, such as the old-fashioned electric knife sharpener, which revolutionized our daily cooking procedures. Before the invention of this clever device, sharpening knives required upper-body exercise and involved the use of whetstones or manual sharpeners. But an ordinarily laborious operation was quickly made more convenient and efficient by the electric knife sharpening.
During the post-war boom, when household appliances were all the rage for making life easier, the first models started to light in kitchens. Leading the way were companies like Presto and Chef’s Choice, which produced dependable sharpeners that soon became a fixture in American homes.
Application
Whether you are a novice chef or a seasoned pro, using a vintage electric knife sharpener is simple. Imagine yourself in your kitchen, ready to sharpen those blades to the level of a ninja’s sword after plugging in the sharpener. Here is a brief how-to:
1. Set up: Ensure that the sharpener is spotless and resting on a sturdy base. Turn it on by plugging it in.
2. Sharpening: Align the knife blade with the internal guides as you insert it into the slot. Pull the knife through gradually, applying consistent pressure and speed from heel to tip. The edge will be sharpened and ground by the abrasive wheels inside.
3.Repeating: Do this a few times with duller blades. For varying phases of sharpening, from coarse grinding to delicate honing, many sharpeners have numerous slots.
4. Finishing: Test the blade’s sharpness by slicing through paper or on a cutting surface after wiping off any metal shavings. And voilà! You have a brand-new knife.
History
What, therefore, makes the retro electric knife sharpener a cherished kitchen tool? It all comes down to safety and efficiency. The technique of maintaining knives has been democratized by these devices, making it available to everybody. No more battling with whetstones or making many journeys to the professional sharpener. Not to mention, a sharp knife lowers the possibility of mishaps in the kitchen, making it a safe tool.
These historical pioneers are responsible for the creation of the contemporary models, which are equipped with sophisticated diamond abrasives and precise angle guides. But antique electric knife sharpeners continue to have a unique place in the hearts of people who enjoy a little nostalgia. Not only do they function flawlessly, but they also harken back to a time when inventive solutions for the typical home cook were commonplace.
The old-fashioned electric knife sharpener was, to put it briefly, revolutionary. Its use continues to influence contemporary culinary practices, and its history records an era of remarkable invention. These sharpeners made knife upkeep simple and effective, which made cooking safer and more fun on a daily basis.
So, check it out if you ever come upon one of these antique treasures. Your cooking and your utensils will appreciate it, I promise!
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