Woman on shop till cries after veteran decides to 'make her day'

A decorated veteran made a woman cry when he handed her a bunch of flowers during his morning trip to the shop.

Mark Jarman, 51, was at his regular shop, Hoole Food Market in Chester, around 7am on Monday, October 24 when he decided to brighten up the day of the woman on the till.

He told the ECHO : "Things are tough at the minute, and they are going to get even worse, with Covid, and that's what's really bugging me at the minute.

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"Everything is so anti-this and anti-that. Why? There's no need for it. So yeah, acts of kindness go a long way."

Mark has seven medals from his 24 years in the British Army, during which he served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Northern Ireland.

Since leaving the military in 2012, he has worked with IT, now volunteering to teach people IT skills.

Mark, who is trying to talk to people more after struggling to do so, chatted with the woman on the checkout on Monday morning, something he never normally does.

He said she was surprised when he handed her flowers.

Sharing the positive news in a public Merseyside Facebook group, Mark wrote: "Last of the 'old' romantics isn't dead yet - went to local shop for daily milk and bought a bunch of flowers for the lady at the checkout.

"No one had ever bought her a bunch of flowers before??? Put a tear in her eye, but I'm pretty sure it made her day. Little, simple things matter x Be kind xx"

Mark Jarman's medals for the length of his service and his time in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland (Mark Jarman)

The post was flooded with kind comments praising Mark for his act of kindness.

One person commented: "She will remember your kindness for a long time. What a thoughtful man you are."

Another said: "Wow! That's awesome! You can be with someone for 20 years and never get a bunch of flowers. That's so nice."

Mark was surprised by the reaction as "he didn't expect anything to come back" from what he intended to be a "small gesture".

He told the ECHO : "I'm still trying to take it in, to be honest. I wasn't expecting that."

The veteran added: "I just wish more people would chip in and help out."