Astonished so my senses and mind
That love pierced me with arrows of such a kind,
As took away both liberty and breath:
And, as on that, so to this day I find
In her beauty is both my life, and death"

Phil Whitehurst

I've never seen Charles so nervous, not even when we've been on long multi pitch routes together.  The moments before the bride turns up, must be the most nerve racking time of all.

With typical childhood timing, Charles' nephew was heard in the quietude,  to say "Daddy who are you speaking too ?" as Mark White began the Gospel according to St John. The Vicar then spoke of the commitment that marriage was, interspersed with some fine jokes.

Following the ceremony and the photographs, the attendees repaired to Tewinbury Farm for the reception. The speeches went well, although, as best man David Young remarked, he wished the Vicar had written his.

Carolyn had provided throwaway cameras for each of the tables. The proved a great success and captured perhaps   
those shots you don't normally get to see.

Following the reception the tables were cleared and the evening guests arrived for the barn dance.  This proved great fun with the HMC represented by Dawn Wyllie, Anne Berk, Gary Bebb, Norman Cho and I.  Some of more promiscuous dances involved changing partner every minute or so, greeting with a cuddle. In others you'd keep your partner for the whole dance. Further convolutions you'd play the part of love torn couple parting but destined to meet again. Despite my best attempts at a rest I failed and partook in every dance that evening.

To finish this little article I thought to include a poem by C.H. Sisson that for me sums up the day. 

"Free was I in the April of my years,
Without a care, for in that adolescence,
The eye did not yet know the force of tears
But saw itself surprised by a sweet presence
Which by its true exalted excellence

Winter Preparation

Page  - 7 -