Your Royal Highnesses,
Congratulations on your Silver Wedding Anniversary. My wife, Jo and I got married on the same day as yourselves in Gedney Hill Church in South Lincolnshire. I am forever grateful for this as it has made remembering the date of our wedding anniversary a little easier. However, purchasing a commemorative pot at the time never occurred to me!
Our wedding was not without event and a little daunting for me as I come from a small family and my wife has a large extended family. Indeed, it was joked when we got engaged that the village was glad to see some new blood.
The wedding, was planned about 18 months in advance. However, a few weeks before the wedding my late father-in-law had a heart bypass operation and he just had enough time to recover before the wedding.
In the run up to our wedding we got through three vicars! The first one moved away, her replacement lasted less than a month and the third took on the role then had a better offer elsewhere. With three weeks to go we had no vicar to officiate the wedding. Luckily I knew the Rural Dean in Holbeach and he assured me he would find
someone.
The vicar he found was retired and ancient. During the ceremony I had to remind him of our names and prompt him on the words of the service, which fortunately I knew by rote. But only myself and Jo were aware of this drama that was unfolding at the altar rail.
Before that there was a further event. Jo's father had arranged for a vintage fire engine to take her to the Church, but unfortunately it was involved in a minor accident on the way to their house. They waited half an hour before her Uncle bundled her in her meringue of a dress into the back of his Land Rover. Unbeknown to me the whole
congregation of guests were murmuring that my future wife was having second thoughts and would leave me at the altar. I had no such doubts.
Her late arrival had a consequence for the bell-ringers. They had eagerly trained to ring the bells at our wedding as the village had had few weddings, but they had never rung the bells for longer than 10 to 15 minutes without a break. By the time she arrived they felt their arms were falling off.
As Jo walked down the aisle one of the young bridesmaids did not wish to follow so Jo scooped our niece Laura up and carried her down the aisle before putting her down and letting her wander around.
After the wedding ceremony the vintage fire engine turned up and we were able to ride on it to the reception. At the reception between the afternoon and even hi my festivities we kept guests entertained with the comedian
and musician Pete Sayers dressed up as his character Dennis of Grunty Fen. This enabled us to sneak off for a short break. Upon our return we learned that one of the young page boys, Chris aged about 3 had punched the comedian in the bread basket. He now serves in the Army and is a capable boxer!
It is these series of "faux pas" that made our wedding day memorable and enjoyable to look back upon. Sadly, like yourselves, so many that attended our wedding are no longer with us.
25 years later, like you, we have two children that are now finding their own way in life and we have moved 2023 from Lincolnshire to Amble in Northumberland.
Because of our joint wedding anniversary you are the "Royals" we most identify with and follow with interest.
We have seen you at a distance in Norfolk several years ago in a "wasn't that" moment when you see public figures.
Please accept our best wishes for your anniversary and a long and happy future.
Andrew & Jo
Comments