Saturday

Today is the day!

First on the agenda today was a visit to the hairdressers.  We (Jen and I) saw cousin Jean in there.  She said, ‘You are going to turn up, aren’t you?  You’re not going to leave us standing there like idiots?’  I told her I would come if I could make it but I think I’d be sick well before then. 

It was pretty quiet at home until Pat and Robin arrived about 1 o’clock.  Pat’s Dad had driven them so they were earlier than expected.  Pat was so excited, more than I was I think.  I was beginning to get scared.  Mum had made loads of sandwiches and tea and we all tucked in.  Or, at least, they did.  I had one before I went upstairs to get everything organised.  I didn’t go down again.  I found so many things to do to help me keep calm. 

Marion and Valerie arrived at the same time and I heard them come upstairs to get changed in the front bedroom.  Marion had a message from Alan.  ‘He didn’t think he could make it!’  Gran came up to see me while I was getting ready and Uncle Charlie and Auntie Em popped their heads around the door to wish me good luck.  There was a lot of noise downstairs and the place was crowded with relatives. Later Dad told me that when the cars arrived they didn’t seem to want to leave and he had had to push them out.  Mum came upstairs just before she left.  She looked very tearful.  Lesley was the last to go, she took a flash photo of us all in the bedroom.  One of the best of the collection and one of the few in colour.

I made my way slowly downstairs and through the front window could see lots of people waitng outside. It does seem odd to think about it, but I was surprised and asked ‘What’s going on?  Why are they there?’  Someone said, ‘they are waiting to see you of course!’  I just said ‘Oh, Yes’.

At last we were ready and the thing I remember the clearest was that my knees were literally knocking.  I’ve always thought that was just an expression but it was really true.

At 2.50 our cars arrived.  I stood at the window and watched the bridesmaids pile into their car.  The colours of the dresses looked gorgeous.  Then it was my turn.  I was in a terrible state.  Dad held up my train so it wouldn’t get dirty and I held my prayerbook in one hand and held the hem of my dress off the ground with the other.  As I reached the gate the wind caught my veil and blew it across my face.  It was on my lipstick and I didn’t want a red mark on my veil but I didn’t know what to do about it.  I stopped and shook my head until it until the wind moved it again.  Afterwards, when I thought about it I could have let my dress hem go as it didn’t touch the floor anyway.  But nothing going on in my head made much sense at that time!

The driver took my prayerbook from me as I got into the car.  Getting in the car wasn’t easy as it was so low and – catastrophe!  As I bent down something gave way!  I definitely heard something snap.  All the way to the church I kept on about it as I was so sure my sleeve had split.  Dad couldn’t see anything wrong and tried to reassure me.  Actually, I think he was as nervous as I was but was trying hard to hide it.  Hours later, when I went back home to change the problem was solved.  As the neckline of my dress was wide I had press studs on a tape to hold back my straps.  It was a press stud that had popped undone.

For one of the few times in my life I was early.  When we reached the church the guests were still outside.  I received a few waves as people realised the car at arrived but when we had got out of the car and got ourselves sorted out they had all gone inside.

The photographer was outside the church and took two photos of me and Dad.  Then we were all ready to go in.  As we reached the church door it was slammed in our faces by the church warden. That produced some comments from Dad and made me giggle.  It all helped to relax me.  The church warden had to ring the bell for us.  That was unexpected but nice.

When we were eventually allowed in we still had to wait.  The churchwarden explained that the vicar and choir would come from the other side of the aisle and Dad and I would follow them   –   and if we weren’t satisfied we could come back next week!

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