He who pays the piper .......

I guess that we got married in a hurry.

So far we have had the leisure to repent but haven't.

Because we wanted to head to Sicily in September and recognised that the Church of England doesn't do what used to be called 'Living in Sin"' we were married in July last year.

The plan always was to have our marriage blessed and when Snods Edge became a real possibility for me as Priest in Charge we decided to invite the parish at large along with friends and family and to have our marriage blessed.

Michael Manley who had supported both me and the indoor critic pastorally though our last few years accepted our invitation to officiate, he had been my witness in July, and we set the date.

Elizabeth looked stunning I scrubbed up reasonably well, the photographer claimed that I looked like Patrick Stewart? But as she did bear a resemblance to the Vicar of Dibley maybe she should have officiated and Michael take the photographs?

Interestingly while there were costs involved in our celebration the Bride was stunning in her dress from eBay and I received a number of comments about my suit which came from a charity shop for £10.

My single act of defiance was my shoes: Fifty years ago I was not allowed to wear brown suede Chelsea boots for my wedding and had to borrow some black shoes. But now aged 73, yet still a tad unconventional I like to think, I wore some very smart brown suede brogues.

My eldest daughter was my best person and a fine job she made given our sadness that the canny lad was not there to celebrate with us.

Elizabeth walked from the house to the Church with her sons Guy and Oliver, preceded by Charley, a friend and a Piper, who wowed the guests, both friends and family and congregation by the sheer distinction of his commanding presence in Kilt and Brogues and knee high socks:

Elizabeth walked to the tune:

Highland Cathedral 


The skirl of the pipes
Drawing near
The shimmering beauty
Of the bride
As she steps lightly 
To the Cathedral
Through the Trees

 The service was adorned unconventionally by a reading from Ecclesiastes which was sung as Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything there is a Season) by a Trio of Elizabeth's Son Oliver, also in his Kilt, her Sister Jeanette and her Brother in Law Jeff, married to her sister Kate, who had driven up from London for the Wedding Blessing of their 'big sister'.

 All in all a splendid day with a Hog Roast and a band, Hadrian's Union, led by my friend Stew Simpson who enlivened the day with their splendid punky folky music.

 So we celebrated with a house full of friends and family, thirteen guests sat down to supper on the Friday night, and like Auld Lang Syne new acquaintances were renewed and new acquaintances made.

 And then it was Palm Sunday time for guests to head back home and, after the service, dogs to be walked.

 And on into Easter Week.

 House for Duty posts are advertised as two days a week plus Sundays but Easter at Snods feels more like 'Eight Days a Week' so, as the Beatles sang:

 Ooo I need your love, babe
guess you know it's true
Hope you need my love babe
just like I need you
Hold me, love me, hold me, love me
I ain't got nothing but love, babe
Eight days a week

 So far this week I have walked with the Bishop from Bywell to Ovingham, conducted a funeral, attended a meditation and celebrated communion, written my meditation for Good Friday and made a Cross as a focus for that meditation (the 'O' Level in woodwork came in handy there) and it is only Wednesday! Still there's more to come, including the Easter Egg Hunt and then it will be Easter Sunday and when, hopefully, I will hang a sign on the Vicarage door which will say and mean:

 'Gone Fishing'. 

 Funny I have just realised that's exactly what the disciples did ...... but I guess that is a sermon for another day!

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