Long-distance romance and closure from husband's death - your memories of Skype

From blossoming long-distance love to helping families stay connected, for years Skype held a unique place in people's hearts.

In the days before Zoom, WhatsApp and Teams, the video call service was once one of the world's most popular websites.

It allowed people to make computer-to-computer calls free, and then became the way users could make low cost calls to landlines and mobiles to people in other parts of the world.

In recent years though, Skype has been diminishing as its owner Microsoft focussed on Teams. Its services will close for good on 5 May, with the Skype for Business feature the only part to remain.

Here are just some of the many people whose lives were touched by Skype since it launched in 2003.

Weng and Owen Williams have a lot to thank Skype for - it is one of the main reasons they are married.

In 2012, Weng left Macau, China to start a six-month internship at a National Trust site in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Feeling a bit homesick, she would speak to friends and family on Skype. She then met Owen, who was also working for the National Trust.

At first they were friends, but after Weng returned to Macau, romance blossomed over months of Skype chats and visits to see one another.

"Skype was a very important part of our relationship," she said.

When they decided to embark on a long-distance relationship, Skype was the glue that held it together.

They video called every day - including when Weng sent Owen a birthday cake and he cut it in front of her during their chat.

"That was quite sweet," she said. "Skype just kept us going."

The pair ultimately got engaged, and Weng moved back to Wales in 2015.

Now, they are happily married.

Since 2003, Susan Bertotti has lived in Chile. Skype has been her way of keeping in touch with her mum Vera, who lives in in Milton Keynes.

For the past 15 years, they have spoken to each other every day they are apart on Skype.

From sharing Christmas memories to showing each other their gardens in Chile and England, the video call app has been a constant.

"Skype has given my mother and I the most wonderful close connection all these years," Susan said.

When she became her mum's carer, Susan used the app to deal with all her life admin back in the UK.

As the years went on, the family starting using WhatsApp, but they still use Skype to set up their chats. Vera is now 99.

"It is going to be a huge loss to me," Susan said.

"I'll be back to making lost-distance calls now on her behalf, and that will be horrible, or I'll have to email.

"I'm so disappointed about losing Skype."

Being able to call internationally without big fees are an important part of Stan Calderwood's business.

On the day it was announced the service would close, he had used it eight times to call estate agents, accountants and lawyers in Canada about the sale of a property there.

"You can't call everyone on WhatsApp, Zoom or Teams," he said.

"You do have to call people on their mobiles and their landlines, particularly businesses."

Stan is now looking for a new low-cost alternative for cheap international calls.

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