Shoestring

Today

Today is my 37th wedding anniversary. We celebrated yesterday evening with friends and champagne. At midnight Paul & I sat on the balcony at the flat and exchanged cards and gifts over a glass of Prosecco.

I gave Paul an ice-cream maker so that he can keep us supplied with his favourite dessert. Paul gave me several pairs of earring, apologising for the fact that they weren't real pearls, only mother-of-pearl, because he couldn't find any real ones for non-pierced ears.

And later today we set off for our "Opera & Wine" long weekend in Lucca with Arblaster & Clark. We're looking forward to vineyard visits, opera evenings, long lunches and plenty of wine.

In My Day

The way Paul asked me to marry him sort of set the tone for the event itself. We were already living together at the flat in Cromwell Road, Hove, but he was having difficulty in persuading the police (his employers) to let him live there, rather than in approved police accommodation.

We were walking down Trafalgar Street and just passing under the bridge when he said "Well, Mum says that it would be a lot easier if we were married............." The remark ended on a question and felt most peculiar. However, I was in love and it seemed an easy thing to do.

We told relatives and fixed a date at the end of the following week at the Register Office. We went to buy a wedding rings, which we could barely afford. In the end we chose a white gold one for £6.50. I had to pay for it because Paul was waiting for his pay cheque.

Relatives offered various items for the day - Chris brought two magnums of champagne, Mamma & Daddy gave us £100 and brought sweet peas. Paul's parents made and iced a cake and also brought sweet peas.

There was no question of a wedding dress - I simply heaved out one of my long "Thomas Hardy chic" cotton dresses and, using left over fabric, made a matching tie for Paul. He had his one-and-only suit.

On the morning of the wedding I walked along Western Road, buying salads, cheese, bread and fruit for the feast back at the flat. In the meantime Paul, who'd hired a mini-bus, drove over to Eastbourne to collect his relatives, while Chris drove me to the wedding in a hired car. (I couldn't remember where the register office was and nearly missed my wedding.) My four-year old niece who'd turned up unexpectedly at the wedding became an impromptu bridesmaid.

Paul & I went into the office for the preliminaries. The short notice meant that there was more to pay - £10, I think it was. Paul & I looked at each other, aghast. He had no money at all and what little I had was in my handbag with Mamma. I scuttled off to get it and the wedding was on.

After the wedding and festivities, Paul and I drove his relatives back to Eastbourne (and hit a cat on the way back) and then went to a presentation about pyramid selling as a career option.

There was no honeymoon and we had to accommodate my 1/2 brother, wife and 4 children who'd driven down from the Midlands in a Mini Cooper to see me married.

What I actually remember from the day is a great sense of joy and family celebration and all the expensive holidays in the world won't change that.