Real Life: Opinions: Who first broke your heart?: Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin, aged 12, has stoppedseeing Laura Bundy, aged 11

RABBI JULIA NEUBERGER: Nobody's ever broken my heart, it's only been chipped. The first time I was about 14 - he was a family friend, about 12 years older, and I was absolutely passionate about him. But I've never been totally devastated - you feel bloody awful but you think 'there'll be another'.

HELEN CRESSWELL, author of children's books: We were 16. He was so handsome. He used to wait for me outside school and we'd walk through the park where we could hold hands and have the odd peck. This day he just ran away. That was the last I saw of him. I pestered my brother to find out what had happened and the answer was 'he says you talk too much'.

ERIC SEGAL, author of Love Story: I only had one love and I married her. I worshipped the captain of the cheer-leaders at school but she never knew and never will unless she reads this.

PETER TATCHELL, gay activist and member of OutRage: I was 19. He was Swiss and we'd been together about three months. He told me at the Gay Liberation Front ball that he didn't think it was working out. I walked all the way home through the snow from Hammersmith to Dollis Hill, tears trickling out of my eyes.

MARCELLE d'ARGY SMITH, editor, Cosmopolitan: I was 17 and overwhelmingly ordinary and I thought he was gorgeous. He liked girls with straight blonde hair and matching shoes and handbags. I had fantasies about him having a road accident and turning to me, to nurse him and love him forever. He had no idea.

FIONA PITT-KETHLEY, poet: I did a certain amount of heartbreaking myself. When I was 17 my parents took me on holiday to the Isle of Wight and this boy of 12 fell for me rather badly. I made him pick me a whole bucket of winkles, and I boiled and ate them all without giving him any. He wasn't put off. He left a sad little note on our caravan door.

JOHN PATTERSON, managing director, Dateline: No one has broken my heart. There haven't ever been dreadful scenes. I'm a realist and I've always been out with sensible people. You decide together that the relationship is for that moment only and when its time is up, that's it. It doesn't have to end in tears.

JEFFREY ARCHER: I was 16. She was in the sixth form and hardly gave me a second look. She had fallen for the captain of the grammar school rugby team who was six-foot-three and very good-looking. I used to cycle by her house. When I was 18 I took her to the theatre in a beaten-up car. It broke down. I wasn't in with a chance after that.

MARCUS BEYNON, insurance underwriter: My heart was first broken when I was four, by my black and white rabbit Flopsy. She died. My parents got me a pair of guinea pigs, Thumper and Squeaky. It was never the same.

COLIN MORRIS, tropical fish breeder: I do remember it, but I don't really want it publicised. I will just say this about life in general: fish are simpler.

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