No we’re not advocating extra marital affairs, far from it. One of the biggest complaints from men and women about their spouses is how much they have changed since they were first dating.

We tend to put our best foot forward during the courting ritual, doing our utmost to impress our dates. We try to be polite, courteous, caring, giving, sensitive, well-groomed and well-mannered. Then we get married (or engaged or move in together) and revert back to our old, self-cantered, slovenly tendencies.

If you feel that your relationship may have lost some of its 'spark,' ask yourself if you are acting the same way as when you went out on those first few dates.

Can you imagine how different our relationships would be if we always behaved as though we were wooing our significant other? We would belch, complain, argue, curse, whine and nag less. We would bathe, smile, caress, encourage, give, clean and communicate more.

If you desire to keep (or renew) that first date spark, you should never stop dating and courting the one you love, no matter how long you have been together.

Some married date ideas

• I can't think of a much more romantic afternoon than kite flying on a blustery day.
• On a sunny Sunday morning make some bacon butties & a flask of tea and go and have breakfast by the river or local lake and feed the ducks.
• Have an au deux B B Q with candles, soft music and fine wine in the garden, get granny to have the kids for the night and the beauty is, he cooks!
• Try out local amateur dramatic productions, not just movies every time. Sometimes the plays are excellent and some are just plain entertaining.
• Strictly ballroom? take dance classes together, whether it’s classic ballroom to raunchy rumba it’s sure to put the spice back and commits you to once a week time together.
• Both office bunnies? meet up after work for tapas and a jug of sangria before heading home and don’t talk about work or the kids!