Rubies

Today
 
Today is the 40th anniversary of my brother David's wedding to Joan. He published a picture on Facebook of them on their wedding day. David is resplendent in top hat, tails and enormous amounts of facial hair. Joan looks sweet., almost engulfed in a furry white hood.
 
"Oh! I remember it well", I commented.
 
In My Day
 
When Paul and I planned to marry, David had expressed reservations about the concept. I think he just hadn't met Joan at that time, an event which clearly altered his attitude to the whole thing.
 
I don't think we had a great deal of notice of their wedding. Lizzie was about six weeks old and we were, as usual, broke. Paul was most touched to be asked to be best man and was flossied up in top hat and tails to match David (no facial hair, tho'). Having had a such a shoestring wedding myself I think I wasn't quite prepared for the more formal aspect of this one.
 
I scrambled together a dress from a remnant and cut a dash carrying a furry muff that had been a gift from Chris. We travelled up to London to David's house the night before, having first deposited the cats with friends in Eastbourne (who let them escape, never to be seen again, but that's another story).
 
Preparations were in full swing. Joan's father seemed to be still in process of papering the "grand room" to render it acceptable to guests and Joan was putting together a fleecy hooded cloak to go over her wedding gown. Full of pre-wedding nerves she struggled with a length of swansdown which was to go round the edge of the hood, "Give it here", I said, wanting to be useful. And, well into the night, I carefully stitched on this dainty trim.
 
We all fell into bed, I think all sharing the same room in a studenty kind of way.
 
The day, I seem to remember, went off pretty well. Paul made his speech and we had a sit down wedding breakfast. We then repaired back to David's where we partied hard in the newly decorated room. Paul, I think, found a very willing dancing partner in Joan's sister Beryl.

These photos, however fuzzy, conjure up the sharpest memories of the occasion and the people we met and loved, many of whom are no longer here.

Congratulations, David and Joan; and thank you, David, for giving me such a jewel of a sister.