A Wedding

Quite early on this glorious morning, fit for a wedding, Jackie drove us out to Sandleheath to have a look at a house that turned out to be a non-contender.  All along Roger Penny Way, turning off only just before Fordingbridge, a mass cycling event was taking place.  This often meant that we drove at the pace of the slowest competitor.  There were signs advising them to cycle in single file, but these were often ignored.  Marshals occasionally leapt up and down and waved their arms about.

When we finally arrived at our goal we did not have a warm feeling about it.  The fact that the front garden was a car park could be dealt with, but The Glen was on a main road with a factory estate behind it.

Then it was back home to prepare for the wedding.  We attended the marriage ceremony of Jackie’s nephew, the handsome, personable, and talented John Eales, with the beautiful, kind, and talented Stephanie Warner in the East Close Country House Hotel.  It was a delightful occasion.

The weather remained perfect for such an event.  Photographs were taken before, during, and after the service by a professional friend.  Another played delightful music throughout.  Helen had reflected Stephanie’s table decoration theme of old books in the cake she had made in the form of a pile of them.  We each had a phial of liquid bearing a ‘Drink Me’ label, which turned out to be vodka laced with a fruit drink.

The meal was quite superb.  The young staff team worked non-stop and remained efficient and friendly.  A tangy tomato soup was followed by delicious roast chicken with crisp vegetables and a flavoursome sauce.  The sweet was a fine fruit flan with strawberry ice cream.  Tea or coffee was served according to choice, and everyone had a glass of wine with the meal and champagne for the toasts, all of which were entertaining.

Martin, Stephanie’s father, gave us particularly insightful pen pictures of the new man and wife.  Neil, the best man, did the usual job of embarrassing his cousin in a positive way.  Somehow, when his laptop failed initially to project his pictures, this added to the general hilarity.  John’s reply was most amusing, and he covered everything he was meant to.

I particularly liked the moment as we entered the reception when Bill introduced the bride’s father to the groom’s paternal uncle with the splendidly succinct phrase; ‘Bob – Martin’.

Although occasionally flagging a bit, the young children present bore up very well.

At the end of the meal there was an invasion of the lawn by a very large family of Gloucester Old Spots. These pigs had come in to hoover the liberally spread dropped beech nuts and apple windfalls. I went out to join the myriad of other photographers.  Unfortunately I tried to get too close and  they all scampered off, snorting.  My shots were consequently out of focus. Helen was much more successful.

P.S. Helen has sent me her pictures, the best of which I am now adding.