Over commercialised? Too soppy? No way – it seems romance is still in the air with Valentine shoppers giving Cupid the thumbs up.

Love is all around in Norwich with shops seeing an increase in sales of all the traditional flowers, chocolates and jewellery in the run-up to the most romantic day of the year.

With the sunnier weather, the high street was buzzing as people shopped for gifts to give to their loved ones ahead of the big day and many stores had elaborate shop window displays capturing the mood.

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Charlene Cary of Cary's Flowers on Norwich market, is predicting sales going into the thousands instead of the hundreds of red roses, offering one for £4 or 12 for £50. Buying in from Holland, she hopes she's got her numbers right.

%image(14686808, type="article-full", alt="Jenny Boddy, assistant manager at Berrys and Grey, Royal Arcade, helping put the love in people's lives. The shop is selling personalised flowers in special tins wth messages this year. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant")

'It's about love so we do little roses for children to give to mum, we do chocolate roses and rainbow roses but our best seller is always the long stemmed red rose,' she said. 'We keep our prices down so our takings will be up but not necessarily the profit.'

Jessica Whitfield, operations director at Winsor Bishop high end jewellers, said: 'We see a spike at this time of year, being the season of love, we do see people coming in and buying engagement rings. We offer rings from £750 to £20,000 or more and it's really exciting to be part of someone's life journey.'

Jenny Boddy, assistant manager at Berrys and Grey interiors, Royal Arcade, said they had been holding heart wreath making courses as well as bringing out a new range of flowers in tins with personalised messages. 'Someone came in and wanted the message forever and always, which shows to me that romance is still very much alive,' she said.

Shopper Bryan King bought his partner a bouquet of fresh flowers. 'She said don't bother getting anything but she does so much for me, I work long hours and am not always there so I just wanted to show her how much I love her.'

%image(14686809, type="article-full", alt="Flowers are a firm favourite to spread the message of love this Valentines. PIc:Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

But Leanne and step daughter Charlotte Matkin were making Valentine's Day a family affair celebrating with an Italian meal at home with eight of them including eight-year-old twins, a 14 year old, 10 year old, 16 year old and a 20 year old. 'One of them doesn't like tiramisu so we are having jam roly poly instead,' she laughed.

%image(14686810, type="article-full", alt="A family affair; aiming to spend Valentines with all the children for a family meal, Leanne and Charlotte Matkin. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686811, type="article-full", alt="Beautiful displays in the Jarrold shop window. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686812, type="article-full", alt="Celebrating Valentines with a trip to see Calendar Girls; friends Sue Shepherd, Carol Moss, Kate Scantlebury and Liz Harper. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686813, type="article-full", alt="Getting excited to be part of people's special journey; operations director Jessica Whitfield at Winsor Bishop where engagement rings start at £750 and go upwards of £20,000. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686814, type="article-full", alt="Roses are red, violets, blue...shoppers getting in the mood of love for Valentines. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686815, type="article-full", alt=""She's worth it," Shopper Bryan King wants to tell his partner how much he loves her with a lovely bouquet of flowers. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686816, type="article-full", alt="A flower heart in the window of Berrys and Grey, in the Royal Arcade, Norwich. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686817, type="article-full", alt="Are you in the mood for love? The engagement rings sparkling in the window of Winsor Bishop jewellers. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686818, type="article-full", alt="Share the Love: the message in the Jarrold shop window; they have a Valentine's display going across the entire length of the shop window. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")

%image(14686819, type="article-full", alt="Love is in the air: shopper Mike Pearson bought a massive bouquet of flowers and a chocolate heart for his partner. Pic: Neil Didsbury, Archant.")