A crush is defined as a short-term strong romantic feeling, usually not reciprocated.

I had crushes from an early age. One neighbour, a father of daughters around my age, was very handsome. I took every opportunity to speak to him and thought he might ask me to marry him when I was older. I would have been around six, so quite how this would work out I did not stop to think. I never gave any thought to his wife and children, but you don't do you when you are smitten?

The odd thing about a crush is that the object of your longing does not have to be conventionally gorgeous, or even aware that you exist. I don't just mean celebrities, it might be someone you pass in the street often.

I recall getting romantic, not to say vaguely erotic feelings towards a Scottish singer called Andy Stewart. He was on TV every New Year, and I could not get enough of him. I don't know if it was the accent, or the kilt. To this day I love to see a man in a kilt. I even bought "Donald Where's Your Troosers" with my pocket money. I played it and dreamt of the day he would sweep me up in his brawny arms.

Aged 13 I developed a strong crush on another girl. She was a couple of years above me, in my strict girl’s school. I don't know what it was about her, she was quite plain and not very personable. She was boyish-looking and a few girls had crushes on her. I recall being most impressed that she had the rarest blood group. I was very shallow.

She had nice hair, but one day turned up with a most unflattering haircut, and just like that the crush ended. I also learnt that the moment you go off someone, you become very attractive to them. She sent me love notes, but I spurned her.

Crushes continued after marriage. My husband was a football and rugger fan. I glanced across at the TV screen one day, and fell instantly for Cliff Morgan, a gorgeous rugby presenter. One crush on a colleague of my husband’s turned out to be strongly reciprocated, and that got complicated. Pity I had not known sooner.

The object of your crush does not have to be sentient.

I used to volunteer at a national dog rescue centre. When major renovations were being done, we had JCB's on site for months. An autistic woman called Helen helped around the place as a break from residential care. She rarely spoke, never smiled.

That changed when she first clapped eyes on a JCB. She took him cakes and tea, as a child feeds a pet or a doll. He was smothered in visible kisses, as she started wearing lipstick, walking around with a big smile.

She was very sad when the building ended, but there was a happy ending. One employee was married to an architect who knew the Bamfords. A helicopter picked Helen up from a local airfield, and she was taken to see loads of JCB's, and given a replica model to keep and adore.

I have known a few men who would never admit it, but they are in love with their cars.

I asked Spock about crushes, but he got that scared look he gets when I ask him something, like I am trying to trick him or catch him out. He eventually admitted to having a crush on a girl from TV series Rock Follies back in the day. The one who sang "Don't cry for me Argentina".

Maybe it's age, diminished hormones, but a crush is a rare thing now. I am more likely to get a rush of longing in a cake shop.

So 'fess up, I won't laugh. Can you recall a big crush?

Val

A Moodscope member