‘We met not long after my recovery,’ Russell says. ‘I’d been quite poorly (Russell was treated for a brain tumour in 2006, and again the following year) and wasn’t for socialising. A group of my friends coaxed me out and we went for dinner and then to Panacea in Alderley Edge.
I saw Louise and sent one of my friends over for her number.’ ‘I’m not exaggerating, there was a queue of people asking for a selfie,’ Louise says, ‘lots of gorgeous ladies, but I wasn’t bothered. I did know who he was but wasn’t interested in joining the queue.
’ Poppy, Muffin, Louise, Blaze, and Russell (Image: Kirsty Thompson) ‘It was an instant connection that ran much deeper than just initial attraction,’ Russell adds. ‘Initial attraction doesn’t see you through 15 years. There were sceptics at the start of our relationship, but here we are.
Louise is not just my wife, she’s my best friend and we run the business together; she’s a huge support mechanism to me in my career and managing our home. We’re not just husband and wife, we’re a team. We’ve got something a lot of people want: a good marriage and a good relationship and mutual respect.
’ ‘It’s a lovely partnership and we’re very lucky,’ Louise smiles. ‘It’s a joint effort,’ Russell says. ‘We work very hard.
Louise runs the farm, she runs the business, she travels with me. It’s always a real mix of jobs – one minute I’m mucking out, the next minute I’m up on stage in front of 1.