Marriage a racing cert

RACEHORSE owner John Holdroyd was celebrating today after his girlfriend Linda Fisher agreed to be his wife - in front of crowds of onlookers at Catterick Racecourse.John, a retired bank manager from Salton, near Malton, proposed to Linda over the public address system at the racecourse on St Valentine's Day.When Linda said "Yes", he even went down on one knee for the benefit of the cheering racing fans.John, who owns three horses, told them: "I would like to be sure that she wants to spend the rest of her life racing with me."The couple have known each other for 15 years, but John said they had drifted apart until Boxing Day last year when they met again."We've been inseparable since then," he said.John was one of three romantics who proposed at Catterick on Saturday, as part of a special offer which meant he and Linda received a bottle of champagne, and will be given lifetime membership on production of their marriage certificate.Meanwhile, a St Valentine's Ball in York ended with an surprise proposal for a York man.John Scott, 32, of Dunnington had been told all night at the Lord Mayor's Charity Valentine's Ball that at the right time he just had to say "yes".But he didn't know what he was agreeing to until his name was called out by the Lady Mayoress and was dragged to the front of the 450 guests at York Racecourse.His partner of three years, Denise Jones, 43, who works at the Cross Keys, Dunnington, then offered him her heart and popped the question: "Will you marry me?"John said "yes" and now the pair plan to marry, possibly next year - the same time as Denise's son and daughter are planning their wedding.Denise said: "I thought somebody else might propose at the ball but when nobody did I thought I might as well do it."We were prompting John all night and then when they called us to the front he would not come."He was dragged up and then I popped the question."But Denise didn't have to present John with a ring - the couple already wear wedding bands after they had a self-blessing at York Minster.John was nursing "a bit of a hangover" the morning after he got his little shock. "Basically it was a complete surprise and it didn't really hit me until the morning after," he said."But now I feel absolutely brilliant."