Where do you stand on the touchy matter of a public display of affection? I’m not talking a matey squeeze or a quick hug with your bestie. It’s more lovers walking arm in arm down a sunlit street, sharing drunken kisses, or just huddled together on a sofa in the local pub, a squidgy mass of public togetherness.

Do you give a resounding cheer, or is it a case of, “Eeew, get a room!”

Personally, I say pack on the PDA. As a 64-year-old woman, I never miss a chance for a warm hug and a reassuring hand-hold. Even now, there is nothing nicer than a man who wants to canoodle in the coffee shop, a hand on the small of my back at the counter, a lingering kiss while waiting for a flat white.

And I am not alone. A recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE agrees. Researchers found that couples who openly show affection by holding hands, hugging, and kissing in public experience higher levels of validation, relationship satisfaction, and general happiness.

It makes sense. The pull of emotion over reason is a fundamental human trait, and one which is bound to scupper even our best efforts. I may tell myself pre-date that, no matter what, my hands will stay resolutely in my pockets. That is until the gorgeous man opposite pulls me towards him in an amorous clinch, and suddenly I am in claspy paradise.

I get that for more private couples, the idea of a public peck feels uncomfortable and against social etiquette. Yet, for me, it is important. Admittedly snogging in the seafood section and blocking the aisles in the supermarket is overkill. But being glad your partner is standing next to you and sharing a hug while waiting in a checkout queue, or an arm wrapped tightly around a waist to steal a quick kiss while comparing brands of coffee, isn’t a public nuisance. It’s a reminder that love can exist in the mundane.

And it is more important for those of us who live alone. Science talks of skin hunger when we don’t experience touch from others, deprived of small gestures of affection, we start to lose sense of our own lovability and feel unsettled. So when the man I really like and haven’t seen for days leans in for a lingering smooch, all those jagged anxieties suddenly melt away, leaving me feeling safe, cosy, and cherished.

I distinctly remember turning up at local club a few months ago with my then beau. “Save it for later,” friends roared, as we kissed at the bar. Others turned their back on us but thankfully a few cheered. But even so what’s the big deal? PDA and romance isn’t just for the young.

I have no desire to disappear into the twilight zone. I want to feel my partner’s affection, and I don’t care who sees it. To be publicly loved releases a rush of oxytocin (the love chemical). It doesn’t just make you feel incredible inside; it lights you up. Don’t get me wrong, though, I am not advocating for a total free-for-all. We don’t need to see the make of your underwear.

Life is far too short to appease the Pecking Police. We all want to love; we all want to matter. Public affection isn’t a performance – it is glorious way to stay connected to each other and keep the romantic spark alive.