Wow - I don't know where to begin. Just had one of those amazing weekends. It started with a friend's daughter's wedding. They got married at Normanton Church, Rutland Water.
An amazing venue for a wedding. Sadly it was not hot like it had been a week ago but the rain managed to hold off. The groom arrived by boat! After the ceremony the bride and groom then took a boat trip around the church
The bride had to wear wellies in order to be able to get on and off the boat without getting her feet wet!
Whilst all this was going on a lot of the male guests were busy admiring the gorgeous car used to deliver the bride to the church.
The reception was held at a local boarding school - again an unusual venue. As the service in the church was done as if in a registry off ice Mr P was asked to conduct a blessing service in the school garden.
The speeches and the cutting of the cake were done before the yummy dinner. This was done so that those giving the speeches could eat their food without getting stressed about having to give their talks. Nice touch I thought.
The cake was all chocolate - made up of layers of chocolate cake and cream and the outside is white chocolate!
The bride and groom put the rooms together. They supplied all the furniture, decorations, flowers etc. I think they did a great job.
I've been to lots of weddings but this was the first time I've ever truly seen the bride's bouquet tossed for one of the unattached girls to catch!
Day 2.
So that was Saturday then came Sunday and the Jubilee Celebrations held at our church. The church invited the local neighbourhood in for an indoor street party. Thank goodness it was planned this way because it poured with rain ALL day. They were of course fed 1950's food.
Should say around 100 people turned up for the event. This was then followed by community singing and party games.
One of the church rooms was then set up with 1950's memorabilia. In this picture were some photographs of one of our older ladies. She had been a midwife and oh the pictures just looked as if they'd come from the recent TV series "Call the midwife".
Dad and I had lots of fun browsing through the magazines. I was especially intrigued to read the adverts for cigarettes. As some of you may know I work for the NHS trying to help people quit smoking.
I found this one rather interesting - have a fruit gum when you can't smoke!
Not so removed from today when I know lots of my clients chew sweets in order to resist a cigarette.
Children and adults had fun playing with lots of very old games and toys.
Then finally people drifted into the church to watch the regatta live on a large screen.
The Queen amazed me she stood for virtually three and a half hours watching all the boats go by, in the cold, wind and rain. What an amazing woman - guess its qualities like this that have kept her going. Long may she reign.
I also thought the filming of the regatta was brilliantly done by the BBC.
Finally Day 3.
Today Mr P and myself opted for a quiet day at the Crick Narrow Boat Show. We had a fabulous day, never been there before and oh boy was it a treat.You see I kind of have this yearning to spend our first year of retirement on a narrow boat either cruising around the canals of Britain or going to France and hiring a barge and travelling all the way south to Carcasonne. We both love the canals and have even walked the whole of the Leeds/Liverpool canal - the longest one in Britain. We also spend lots of spare time walking different bits of the canal system. I think my children think me mad - they're often saying "Oh mum you and your boats". Having said all this Mr P and myself had not been on a narrow boat until that is today!
I adore these traditional narrow boats - and today we were legitimately allowed to nose at them and go inside.
This man is advertising for someone to come and work with him!
But you have to be female!
Then decided to go back to old habits and took a stroll along the tow path and was delighted to see a boat called "Chance" - a fellow blogger. Chance Blogspot
Dogs were allowed to enter the boat show. Doesn't this one look sweet with his small neck scarf?!
These dogs were huge - Irish Wolf Hounds.
Ok I have to be honest and say we were a little insey winsey bit tempted with this small 2nd hand narrow boat, called Aster.
http://canalboatsales.homestead.com/aster.pdf
Can't seem to show you a picture but it was oh so sweet and so traditional in its layout. Oh well we'll keep on dreaming. Hope you are all having as much fun as I am this long bank holiday weekend.
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