Sept 23 - The big day!
I took a ride into Wickham to pick up some postcards before breakfast, choosing one with a lovely old church I was pleasantly surprised to read on the back it was the St. Johns Church in Bishops Waltham, the very spot today’s ceremony will take place. Upon arriving back at the hotel I went for breakfast, included in the cost of the room. Breakfast was served buffet style and I had the Full English, including black pudding and baked beans (and they kid me about Americans putting syrup on their bacon!).
We rode in groups to the hamlet of Bishops Waltham, a tiny little village with many very old buildings, some in the Tudor style. Hanging baskets of flowers and gardens lined the narrow streets, lending a fairy tale like ambience to the surroundings.


Us men folk went to The Bunch of Grapes pub for a few drinks before the ceremony. Our friends Ken & Kay and Dave & Michelle arrived to join us. I last saw them at the Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten, where Kay and I raced together.


The church, which was built in the 1100’s was constructed of stone, not very ornate but with a very sturdy appearance, large timbers were set as trusses to support the ceiling. The ceremony was accompanied by a small choir and the Vicar kept it short and sweet.


After photos outside the church, the happy couple left in a vintage auto back to the hotel. The guests enjoyed Pimms in the courtyard of the hotel, while the newlyweds posed forpictures for the wedding photographer.

The reception was held in a building at the back of the courtyard and was very much like our celebrations in the US. There was a nautical theme to the wedding and the tables were labeled after islands in the Grenadines with the head table the Tobago Cays; I and some of the other yachties were seated at Union Island. After the speeches and well wishes dinner was served by the friendly staff. The main course was roast rump of lamb, accompanied by perfectly cooked green beans and potatoes. Cream puffs with strawberrys and chocolate sauce was the dessert selection. Dan’s relatives, who had come from Germany, brought the wine that was served with the meal; it was from a vineyard just down the road from their home and very nice. Dans fathers band provided the initial entertainment, playing many Celtic tunes. Much to my surprise they guided us through some traditional dance steps, which were the same as I remembered from square dancing in high school. After the band was finished, a barbeque was setup outside the hall, and a second round of food was served. A DJ provided the balance of the evenings entertainment. The reception ended at midnight but the bartender stayed on until 1:00 am for those for us who weren’t completely worn out yet.