The week started with a visit to Grand Designs Live over at Excel and a few purchases along the way. At every show I go to there always seems to be one item that everyone’s buying. This year we joined in. The item ‘de jour’ was a telescopic mop, which supposedly extends so you can clean your upstairs windows. I’m doubtful that it would work for us, but we had it in mind for another reason, well MOH does as it looks ideal for cleaning our conservatory roof, which is essentially, a glass flat roof.
But that wasn’t our only purchase - maybe it was the show’s proximity to home, but we also brought home a small folding teak table for the garden, and what looks like a high-tech garden hose that’s lightweight and automatically retracts. We’ve already been warned to stand well clear, as it takes no prisoners, but haven’t yet had a chance to try it for ourselves.
I also left with an unintended consequence of bumping into a large plastic bucket on one of the stands - a whopping bruise. It took a while to come out but spectacularly rivals the one I had the other week from that trip down the stairs.
Like most members of my family I’ve been on weather-watch this week ahead of a family wedding this weekend. And hasn’t it been a mixed bag?
On Wednesday it was so wet that walking to and from work, or rather the thought of walking to and from work was less than favourable, but when I got going it wasn’t so bad, until the deluge arrived. Squelching feet until lunchtime is never the best is it? It did mean quite an empty Greenwich Park though, so it wasn’t all bad.
And throughout the week there has been much prepping, those hems got pressed, MOH tried his suit on with no ill effects, and he narrowed his shirt and tie combo down to just two. Despite it being a four day working week, it was one with days that were overfull with work, so as ever it felt far from a short week. But Friday evening with everything packed and double checked we headed off to Peterborough to join my niece and her husband-to-be and their wedding celebrations, meeting up with family and friends but somehow managing to arrive two minutes after last orders for food. It had been that sort of week, and so ending it with a KFC was not such a bad thing.
We were already aware of the itinerary for Saturday, which started with bacon rolls at 8am before heading off to the reception venue to ready that. Many hands really do make light work, and many minds help overcome the obstacles on our path. Thankfully though they were just small ones, like not being able to get the hire van under the height restriction barrier initially, until the correct key was delivered.
With everything set up it was time for the most important part of the day. Lunch. Sorry, no, the ceremony and getting ready for that, which did include lunch and then off to the church.
NORMANTON CHURCH AT RUTLAND WATER
I’d seen pictures of the venue, but it was even more beautiful first-hand. Even on a cloudy day, in fact the clouds looked more moody than they actually were. It was dry - and stayed dry, many of the guests keeping the rain at bay by carrying umbrellas. We had some fun with selfies in a hat, trying to get the church in too. Poor MOH, he has a lot to contend with any way, let alone when a hat gets in on the act too.
We did manage a decent picture in the end, but this one is much more fun.
All in all a great day, and one full of emotion. There were quite a few of us that found something in our eye during the ceremony. There were speeches, good company, plenty of dancing - and my shoes lasted on my feet the whole day, which was very good news. They fared better than one of the buttons on my jump suit, which popped off on a post-ceremony toilet visit. A lady outside noticed saying “come on husband you haven’t spotted the button’s not done up” at which point he checked, only to discover it was missing. So back to the loo - not photo worthy! - and there it was on the floor.
What a great feeling to find a lost button that belongs to you! Had that lady not commented and complimented my outfit, my button would have remained at Rutland Water. I’m sure I’ve a spare, but, you know, I’m glad I found it.
We had an absolutely fabulous day celebrating with family and friends of the bride and groom and clearly wish them a lifetime of happiness. Their timing is impeccable though, just as we’d finished clearing the venue on Sunday morning they arrived. But not one of us minded.
After a busy weekend, back home we were glad to make use of the sun loungers in our garden - once MOH had dug them out from the back of the shed. We should have been gardening, but snoozing won hands down!