Saturday 12 January 2013

New Year Cheer

Plus ca change, as the French say - although they'd say it with the correctly applied accents, plus c'est la meme chose. I am reminded of this epithet as I gaze out of the window of the writing garret on a grey January morning, and see flocks of runners passing by below. It happens regularly at this time of year. As soon as the festivities are over, the decorations dismantled and the last of the chocs scoffed, the local citizenry stares at its waistline, realises that it no longer has one, and takes to the street.

By February, the streets will have returned to the usual hardy troupe of runners with their little headphones, water bottles strapped to their wrists, and determinedly- gritted-teeth expressions. Same with the TV adverts. The moment January arrives, some faceless marketing team decides that either I need to book my summer holiday now, this instant, or seems to think I have an insatiable desire to spend the next eight weeks learning how to construct a small lifelike replica of the Titanic out of cardboard (free iceberg with part one). The ultimate nadir was reached last night when I sat through at least six successive public advertisements telling me how to eat healthily, and presenting me with luscious fruit and veg, and fresh products. Meanwhile another local food bank has just opened up...
At the rehearsal



Bridal bouquet
The 'cheese' cake. 
 Before I self-combust in the white heat of anger at the disconnect and rank hypocrisy of the current government, I thought I'd share something with you that certainly cheers me up, and I hope will bring a smile to your face, and a feeling of optimism in these grey dog-days of January.
Followers of Facebook/Twitter will know that DD got married on December 22nd so here are some snippets of the day and pre-day. They got married in the beautiful and historic 11th century church of St Bartholemew the Great, in Smithfield.

The church

The newly-married couple
It rained the whole day, but somehow, the guests didn't notice. As you can see, they hired an old Routemaster to take us all on a trip round London visiting locations that were significant in their courtship. Oh - the dress? Bought at a Red Cross Designer Bridal sale. For the cognoscenti - it's an Emma Hunt bridal gown, should have sold at £3,500. A snip at £500 and the charity got the money. The shrug is vintage, as is the silver hair clip. There was Afghan food at the reception (DD spent 3 years out there), a sitar player, and a cake made out of delicious fresh cheeses (see pic).
Mr and Mrs

The most impressive aspect of the whole lovely day was the knowledge that DD had organised it all herself. A feat of not inconsiderable brilliance. Her ability to micro-manage big events and produce complex spreadsheets has not been inherited from my side of the family, believe me. As you all know, I am to technology what fish are to dentistry, and I do not see this state of affairs changing much in the future. Sadly.

And so, as we each pedal our unicycles of hope across the tightrope of destiny, juggling the beanbag penguins of optimism as we go, it only remains for me and the PINK SOFA to wish you all a belated, but Very Happy New Year.

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32 comments:

  1. Happy New Year to you too. Loved being able to look at the photos. Wishing you a wonderful 2013.

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  2. Glorious... and a wonderful challenge to the conventional wedding rip-off! Thank you for sharing the pictures, which just prove that the rain was no dampener.

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  3. How fantastic! What a beautiful wedding, and even better for having been done without being forced to spend the £15,000 or more that we are told it costs these days! I am one of those gritted-teeth runners you speak about, although you won't see me doing it because I'm only ever out when it's dark...

    Happy 2013 - may it bring brightness and joy to you!

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  4. Jogging? I don't understand it. Food banks? Now that was an eye opener. I recently discovered to my shock that we have them here too and people are desperate for basic grocery items. I live in a cosseted 'middle-class' world I'm afraid. As for the wedding photos - wonderful! DD is a very talented and beautiful lady. Which just leaves the 'fish to dentistry' quote and that'll have me giggling inanely to myself for the rest of the day.

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  5. I love the unconventional manner of Mr + Mrs DD's day...from the sitar player to the Afghan food to the delights of the delicious cheese cake...( still waiting for my piece to arrive ). I also think that hiring the Routemaster to take the wedding party on a trip around the significant places of their courtship was not only a stroke of brilliance but beautifully romantic...If I wasn't the stony slab that I am I'd be quite jealous!
    I wore black at one of my weddings...my mother in law at the time spent the wedding day crying on the shoulder of the best man at the horror of it! I loved the outfit and it suited my mood perfectly...I'd also fancied black candles but thought the better of it when I saw her lips turn blue at the mention of the black wedding dress!...Anyway, here's wishing the handsome couple an abundance of happiness and good health always...all the very best xx

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    1. It's the phrase 'one of my weddings' that is lingering in my mind....

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  6. What a nice post! I have booked a holiday and started running again though - I'm such a sheep!

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  7. What lovely pictures - and Happy New Year to you, and to DD and her man.

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  8. Lovely. Thanks for the pics and description. DD must be a lot like her mom. Intelligent, organized, and fearless.

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    1. Thanks Jo and Hap - next week they are back to work!! Shock to the youthful system!

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  9. Lovely post, Carol. I am also a gritted teeth runner, but I confess I don't go if it's raining. In that sense, I'm a wimp, and as it's been raining a lot recently.... Anyhow, I am shocked by the food banks. Or am I? Now I think of it, I was really shocked the last time I came over to London. There were so many homeless people sleeping on the streets. I have never seen it like that before and it saddened me no end, so maybe the food banks are an inevitable consequence. Lovely photos of DD's wedding, though. How special and unusual! And I love the idea of being driven around London in a bus as part of the wedding reception! Precious! The bride looked beautiful in her gorgeous dress and shrug. Thanks for sharing them with us.

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  10. Happy New Year to you too. The pics of the wedding look lovely.

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  11. Great post Carol. I love the way you wrote about the New Year joggers and T.v. so true! I forgot that it was the wedding. Lovely pictures, your daughter looks gorgeous. We had non stop rain on our wedding day too. Didn't even manage to get 1 pic outside. Like to see a picture of your outfit being the mother of the bride and all that. ;)

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    1. We shall see! My absence from most photos is deliberate! Lack of photogenecity (? a word)

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  12. Thanks for sharing pictures. They look so happy. :)

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  13. Great post for the New Year, Carol!

    DD looks lovely and so relaxed in spite of all her hard work organising everything.

    BTW you won't be seeing me running past your house - although yesterday DH and I did in fact walk behind it along the cycle/bridle way to Vauxhall and back.

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    1. Well done! I feel the older I get, the idler I become. Not good!

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  14. Fun post. Not that your machinations with the council aren't interesting, too. But this is more fun.

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  15. So where are the photos of the mother of the bride? You're not getting away with it Carol I need tips if any of my two ever get their act together and decide to marry. Your daughter is gorgeous I love her dress and the photo on the bus is just lovely,I also like how she didn't put her hair up as a lot of brides do. I have not been jogging there is no chance of that but I have started a diet and after first week I have lost nothing not even an ounce. Also fish are quite good at dentistry and there's many a whale out there who are grateful for the small fish that clean food from their teeth. So I suspect you're not so bad with technology as you think you are.

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  16. How wonderful, what a lovely bride and what a fabulous wedding. I hope they will be very happy. Love your blog and thanks for sharing. Happy 2013 to you and all your family Carol. xx

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  17. A lovely bride and a lovely wedding - wishing them much happiness. Happy 2013 to you and all your family Carol. Love you blog too. Thanks for sharing xx

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  18. Looks like you had a fabulous day! And like Anne says above, where are the pictures of you??

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  19. Having wandered the streets of organisational stress and pre wedding jitters with my daughter oh so not very long ago, this blog brings more than just a cold sweat.

    She too tackled catering, transport, guest lists and dress with the expertise of a seasoned general planning a surprise attack on some mighty alien invader. Such actions from our children leave us proud and wondering where on earth they inherited such talent?

    I love the bus and the dress looks amazing - grand children next Carol and then onward and upward :) Great blog as usual - :)

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    1. Thanks Andrew. Grandchildren would indeed be a blessing!! Fingers crossed!!

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  20. Hee, hee, I am a 'hardy' runner (but only in light rain, mainly because if knew there was such a lovely thing as a 'cheese' cake I would a whole one! What a fab wedding - just goes to show you don't have to go down the extortion and frills route. She looks beautiful!

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  21. Doubt there'll be many runners out today - unless they're on skis! Enjoyed your blog, Carol!

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  22. Nice post, Carole, and lovely pics. I would also like to let you know that actually my dentist is a Dover Sole.

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  23. St Bart's is a beautiful church. We once found deep solace there when on a visit to see a relative who was very sick in the hospital. I love that part of London. It looks like a lovely day was had by all. Afghan food - no clue what that's like!

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