Watch any rom-com and you’ll see a similar story: Hopeless romantic wins back love of his/her life with over-the-top romantic gesture.

The guy turns up with a boombox outside his lover’s window, and they all live happily after. Not exactly realistic or mature, but sweet on the big screen.

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It looks like Luke Howard has seen a bit too many of these films, however, as he’s currently sitting in College Green in Bristol playing the piano until his ex comes back to him.

34-year-old Howard told Bristol Post, ‘She’s a very organised person, very practical and I’m just trying to show her I’m really serious about us. It’s a kind of off-the-cuff thing, and I just want her to know how much I love her, to give us a chance rather than leave it there. I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet.’


On first glance I cringed a bit, but God loves a trier, and that’s certainly dedication. Then I put myself in that girl’s shoes and wondered how embarrassed and pressured she must be feeling right about now.



Howard calls his ex girlfriend his ‘Rapunzel’ and says he’s going to keep playing his piano in the park until she gets in touch with him. I can’t think of a worse thing for the future of their relationship.

His heart is probably in the right place, but he’s essentially publicly blackmailing her to get her back. The world wants their fairy tale ending, and she’s going to look like the buzzkill if she doesn’t give it to them. That’s not a basis for a healthy partnership.

Why can’t he respect her decision to end things?

While Howard says the reason for their split was ‘wasn’t anything nasty or bad’ and ‘was just life getting in the way’, he claims that texting and calling is just making things worse, which is why he’s resorted to such methods. Give it up, dude, she’s just not that into you.

Not to mention, you’re in your mid-thirties, you’re not an angsty teenager.

Twitter users agreed, calling it borderline abusive and creepy.

As well as the piano-playing, he’s created a Facebook page where people can show their support. It looks like a cheap marketing ploy, and removes the woman and her own agency from this entirely.

The term love-bombing refers to a partner who uses overbearing and extravagant displays of affection that trick someone into thinking this person cares about them (even if it’s little more than hollow promises to create dependence). Like that, Howard is manipulating his ex into thinking she should be grateful for what he’s doing.

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It’s so needy, and he should be the one grateful for the fact she hasn’t filed for a restraining order yet.

We’ve all been dumped before, and there’s no doubt it completely sucks. But, if someone chooses to finish it, you have to take their wishes into consideration. Relationships are a two-way street, and making someone feel bad so they’ll be with you is the least romantic thing you can do.

I’ve been in situations where my partner tried to guilt me into not going out, acting in a way they want, and putting their needs over mine. I ended up resenting him, and feeling powerless to make my own decisions, always fearful that choices I made weren’t for me but for him.



Looking back, I realise that those are abusive behaviours, and as they escalated (him getting angry at me if I ended a phone call without saying I love you, or for not hugging him enough when we’d be sitting watching TV) it created more and more tension and disillusionment.

You have to wonder, even if Howard does manage to win back this ‘Rapunzel’, will it always be in the back of her mind that he twisted her arm to get her there? And, if he’s capable of persuading her to go back on her decisions here, will he continue to disregard what she wants?

Bon Iver said you can’t make someone love you, and that’s the message this guy needs to get.

Howard, pack up your piano, it’s just not gonna happen.

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