Couple with mutual love of fatbergs celebrated first anniversary with trip down sewer

Rather than celebrate their first year anniversary with dinner or a movie, Dan MacIntyre and girlfriend Dunya Kalantery instead donned overalls and went underground in central London in search of the lumps of congealed fat and waste.



The couple started dating last year and cemented their relationship when they discovered their shared interest after a 15-tonne, double decker bus-sized fatberg of congealed cooking oil - the biggest ever found in the UK - was discovered in Kingston a year ago. "We were both fascinated by the story," says MacIntyre, 27, a learning support worker. "Just the mixture of the different substances – the fat, the sanitary towels, and that as an image. It is really gross and we were fascinated in a disgusted way."

Wanting a surprise for his girlfriend, Mr MacIntyre wrote to Thames Water with the strange request. Kalantery, a 27-year-old art curator, loved the surprise. "I was extremely struck by it, and excited. We got to put on white protective suits, and waders up to our hips." They were each connected to a harness and disappeared down a manhole outside Selfridges shortly before midnight. "The sewers were impressive," she says. "The current of the water was really strong."



"It was also unexpectedly pleasant down there," says MacIntyre. "It wasn't that smelly and it was nice and warm." Then, says Kalantery, "we saw the fat, which was pretty great." Sadly, there were no giant clumps, thanks to the maintenance by sewer workers, but there was enough for the grease enthusiasts to get excited about. Mr MacIntyre addedd: “It was incredible to see real-life fatbergs. We’re very grateful to Thames Water for arranging this trip. It has been a dream come true — the perfect anniversary present.”