There doesn’t seem much else to write about other than The Wedding. What with the weather and the friendly crowds and everyone exuding good cheer and happiness, it was a brilliant day, wasn’t it? I watched it on the telly with enough family around to make it feel a bit like a party and the nice thing about watching it in the comfort of one’s own home, is that a) you can put the kettle on as and when b) you can make all the comments that you want to make in church but are constrained by the social decencies from voicing. Like, isn’t Kate’s dress
gorgeous and thank God it’s not a meringue crossed with a circus tent and isn’t she beautiful? And will her poor father ever get the circulation back in his hand? (Never did a bride grip her Dad’s hand more tightly). And didn’t the trees in the church look good? And what on Earth were Eugenie and Beatrice wearing on their heads? And isn’t William handsome? And, come to that, Harry isn’t half bad either. And aren’t the titchy bridesmaids wonderful, especially the little one, firmly shepherded by the lovely Phillipa Middleton, who kept one hand on her head with an iron grip on her wreath?
London in party mood is a great place. I was there for the Jubilee and the whole city becomes one happy place where complete strangers talk, don’t push, make friends and are simply glad to be there. It’s great to stand on Westminster Bridge with no traffic, to have people from all over Britain and all over the world chilling out and being nice, picnicking on the grass and – on occasion – bursting into song. I don’t know why it’s so great to stand by the Victoria Memorial with thousands of other people, singing their hearts out, but it is. And there’s another Jubilee next year…
Well I suppose you could have written about Alternative Voting, or next week's council elections, or...no, you're right, it had to be The Wedding! I agree about how wonderful London is on occasions like that; I was there for Charles and Di's do, (not on the route because I was working that day,) and I walked through central London after the procession had gone and saw and felt the amazing atmosphere. Richard and I also went to the big firework display in Hyde Park a couple of days before - it was before these mega-pyrotechnics had become, if not common, at least regular events, and it was magic, as also was the feeling of being safe and happy even though you were in the middle of a crowd of half a million people.
ReplyDeleteABSOLUTELY to every thing you said! A lovely party for the whole world. And very classy, everything elegant and nothing over the top. I was in Bath for Andrew & Fergi's wedding. It was lovely, the hotel hosted a gorgeous tea party for everyone (I wasn't even staying there), then Morris dancers in the street and people linking arms and walking along singing. I phoned home to our local newspaper and put in a "roving reporter" piece.
ReplyDeleteFrom Calgary Elizabeth reported a lovely dinner laid on by the Monarchists League with BBC coverage provided by my son-in-law on the big screen. Her only complaint--the wedding cake was fluffy white North American style, not a proper English wedding cake.
As a footnote I'll add that when Elizabeth & Lee were married in Wakefield Cathedral they had the proper English cake, but in deference to American family and guests also had Black Forest gateau.
Oh, p. s. and to round off the evening, we went to "The King's Speech" what a perfect and moving movie! What fun to see the family step out onto the balcony after just reading that Elizabeth, the Queen Mum, was the one who started that tradition.
ReplyDeleteThat feeling of being in a huge crowd of very friendly people is quite unlike anything else I've ever experienced. It's worth going to one of these events just for the atmosphere alone.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that all over the world people seem to have taken time off to enjoy something so friendly as a wedding. I didn't realise there was a national divide of wedding cakes, Donna. Traditionally, the top layer becomes the Christening cake. I must say, all mine got eaten long before there were any christenings in sight!
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