Another Day, Another Wedding

Eloise didn't seem too bad the next day, but as time marched on she was up and down with temperatures coming on to be abated by doses of paracetamol. Still we decided to press on with the day's engagement.

We drove down with the Gamlingay contingent to Hampshire and met up with Matt and Sam and their sproglets at the pub that professes to be the birthplace of cricket, where we ate food and drank drink.

We were on our way to the second wedding of our excursion, that of Ben and Lou. Ben is another of Nicole's cousins, and they were getting the church treatment.

Needless to say the heavens opened whilst at the pub but by the time we left the skies had cleared.

Foolishly I was entrusted the job of navigator so it fell on my shoulders to get us horrendously lost and to have to ask directions, getting us to church with mere moments to spare. Which explains why I forgot to change my shoes and was stood there like a lemon in my dapper suit and trainers. Still the bloke in front of me had a suit that was as crumpled as anything so I didn't feel too bad and frankly the youth of today are a pretty scruffy bunch anyway.

The vicar was a pretty liberated type and he just said that to stop the kiddies getting upset and agitated in the bizarre church environment they should jsut be left to wander, so they did, dancing and playing in the aisle, which was actually quite nice.

The reception was at a horsey club type thing and was quite informal, but very hot indoors. But there was plenty to do, with a set of drums for the band later on and a dressing-up box for the kids to play with.

Some nice touches were a polariod camera for the guests to be photographed - they would then sign their prints and hang them up on a big bit of bunting. And there were some custom-made "Ben and Lou's Wedding" slip-on shoes for the ladies with sore feet.

By the time eating had been done and a tremendously protracted set of goodbyes completed, it was ten o'clock or so by the time we set off so we didn't get back to Gamlingay until silly o'clock.