The Royal Letch Wedding
This short story is dedicated to a very special union between two wonderful people….
Harry Letch & Joni Merendino.
After the many hassles with terrible disasters in new York and Washington, plus the near receivership of New Zealand’s flag ship “ Air N.Z. “ which I was originally booked on but my travel agent managed to change my tickets to Singapore Airlines just in case I would loose my money.
My friends from Los Angeles, Alvina and Robbie had been staying with me before my departure and we all left the same day, me to Edinburgh and my friends back to the tension that was still with the people of America.
My flight was long and tiring , a change of planes in Singapore, refuel stop at Brussels, Belgium then on to Manchester, England and finally a domestic flight to Edinburgh.
My friend Harry was there to welcome me and take me to his and Joni’s rented home in Dalgety Bay , Fife. After a much needed shower and change of clothes it was time to hear all the plans for their forthcoming marriage at Gretna Green and then three days later the reception in the beautiful old Ravensworth Arms English pub which is near Birtley , New Castle-upon-Tyne.
Wedding present time for Harry and Joni with gifts I brought from there New Zealand friends, these included a wooden frames oval wall clock, wooden coasters, cheese board and pot stand, all in N.Z. Rimu timber, a lovely oil painting of a N.Z. scene of mountains and a lake. There was also a delicate pair of Champagne glasses with their names frosted on and a little Kiwi on the base.
My first day in Scotland was mild and sunny after heavy rain during the night. After the first of many what I call suicide breakfasts ( bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms and tomatoes ), typical of Great Britain Harry took me on a tour around the lush countryside, quaint villages, Lakes and picturesque country lanes. A stop at a most interesting old Pub for my first taste of local beer, many brews to choose from, there were many collectables on the walls ( reminds me of my place ). Moving on to another pub meant to view the beautiful dining room of the Woodside Inn, an old sailing ships galley had been used for the décor.
Next day we took a drive into Edinburgh, this was my third visit to the beautiful city, the previous times the sun was shining and so it was again. Princes Street still looks elegant with the colourful sunken gardens on the other side of the street. As I had an injury to my leg it was difficult to walk much distance, also parking is just impossible near the main area so it was a chance to explore the city by car, we did manage a car park behind the Castle so I was able to take some different photos from the usual.
Next morning Joni went for a prenuptial manicure while Harry and I did some more sightseeing, we found some very nice villages plus a thousand year old church still being used, a feature was the lovely stained glass windows. Late afternoon we made the 2-½ hour journey to Gretna Green through rolling countryside and little villages in the distance from the motorway. I had visited Gretna Green over twenty years ago and it still looked the same with it’s old Blacksmiths Shop, pubs and lots of bed and breakfast places, we had booked into a lovely old one, then had nice meal in the Crossways Inn.
Next morning the 10th October after a very stormy night the weather managed to clear for this very important day for Harry and Joni which I had travelled around the world to witness. After a suicide breakfast and doing my best to calm Harry, reassuring him that his hair was not too short or his tie was knotted wrongly it was time for action at the Registry Office. Harry’s sister’s Iris and Muriel arrived from Birtley with Iris’s husband Ritchie, also with us was Joni’s daughter Diana who had come her from America. The civil ceremony took about ten minutes, in that time it changed Harry’s 50 plus years of freedom to a very lucky man.
A short distance away was the Blacksmiths Shop , an ideal setting for those wedding photos. Many years ago young couples used to elope to Gretna Green , they could marry without their parent’s permission, now it is still a very romantic place to come to. The first photos were taken in the anvil room, an old coach in the background made a good backdrop along with the kilted Scotsman who performed a further ceremony as it had probably been done all those years ago. The courtyard also lent to some nice pictures, a spiral iron staircase decked in flowers was also very pretty. A lone piper completed the picture for this very happy couple.
Our small wedding party retired to the Crossways Inn for as luncheon, no small helping here, as usual it was a very tasty meal.
Harry and Joni left us for a couple of days by themselves before collecting Joni’s two sons who were coming from America for the wedding reception, I travelled back to Birtley with Harry’s sisters, his brother-in-law and Joni’s daughter Diana. I stayed with Iris and Ritchie till after the reception. I was able to get to a doctor with my painful leg; the medication soon eased the pain. All medical treatment is free for the over 65’s and I was entered as a Temporary Resident which also covered my medication. Ritchie took me for a long drive to see the sights around New Castle, firstly the huge red steel statue of “The Angel of the North “ with it’s outstretched arms, and built on a hill it could be seen for miles around. Next to the Tyne’s old bridge and the new millennium masterpiece simply called “ the Eye “, a half circle footbridge anchored with huge steel ropes that lift it high in the air when shipping passes by.
Next morning I met up with an old friend Gary cooper from Durham who kindly took me on a tour of the Durham sights starting with the old cobbled streets leading up to the huge cathedral with it’s lovely leadlight windows showing biblical scenes and beautifully carved seats , the size of the cathedral was just so hard to imagine from the outside. We moved on to a huge covered in market where I managed to add some more C.D’s to my collection and a few little collectables of Durham. We then drove to an even larger shopping complex called Suderland, it seemed to be closed in over cobbled streets . A new highway was unique with it’s under road heating and large flower bowls along it’s length . after Gary dropped me off back in Birtley it was time to join the lads pub night, Friday, Harry and Joni had arrived back and it was great to catch up with old friends and more of Harry’s family.
I have found that cycling is kind to my injured leg so Ritchie and I took to the road travelling on some pretty lanes and lush countryside, all too soon one reaches another town and another huge shopping complex.
Saturday, the wedding reception was held in the lovely old Ravensworth Arms Hotel, the cosy dining room was tastefully decorated in pink and white ( Harry’s colours ) , lots of English and American flags and flowers everywhere. The buffet style meal was nicely presented and a very nice Australian red wine was to my liking. I was a bit nervous when it came to my turn for a speech , being the best man and the only kiwi here among these north English people, I did get quite a good hearing even though I read it, claiming that us New Zealander’s are very shy . The night was very mild which aloud us to make use of a very nice outdoors setting after all the formal part of the evening was over. During the reception a novelty flying pig with wings flapped around the room attached to a long string, the motive of this was Harry’s answer to the question , when is he getting married….” Pigs will fly first “ The evening continued until late and was a most friendly, enjoyable wedding to celebrate the union of these two wonderful people.
During the night it rained again but was now clear so Ritchie took me to a “boot sale” market before Iris’s Sunday roast dinner. This was an experience I had never seen before, a whole football field was taken up with vehicles with their boots up and selling anything from household items, C. D.’s & tapes, motor parts, clothing , jewellery and toys. A pork sandwich just about filled me for the day, it was huge and I still had to front up to Iris’s roast. We stopped off at another large shopping complex run by the Church of England where I tried to buy a flying pig to take home but they had sold out. The roast dinner complete with Yorkshire puddings was well received from the twelve who enjoyed it.
Harry and Joni took the two boys back to Manchester for their flight back to America while I did some more sightseeing which included a remarkable Garden Centre currently selling Christmas novelties by the acre. The newly weds arrived back late after having to battle a 30 mile traffic build-up, we were to go back to Edinburgh but decided the next morning would be better.
Having said goodbyes to my wonderful hosts , it was so great being able to stay with local people instead of motels, you learn lots about the customs and style of living. Blue sky made the journey pleasant, we travelled on the A 1 highway till we reached the lovely old town of Alnwich where Harry and Joni have bought their dream home just a short distance from the town, it is a lovely two storied place , formal dining and lounge rooms , a nice conservatory and mature gardens. The town itself has a long history, there is still remains of the town wall, a large castle and most important to Joni a hardware shop that sold just about everything. Our next stop was Bamburg town for lunch in a nice pub overlooking the little fishing harbour on the North Sea. The nearby castle has always been a favourite of mine.
Soon we were back in Dalgety Bay, time for a little relaxing before preparing for a two day trip north to Inverness. The morning dawned clear and mild as we started the journey, firstly crossing the Kincardine Bridge at Edinburgh and followed the northern route passed Stirling and Dunblane, our first stop was to view Loch Lubnaig, a very pretty lake, winding further north we travelled through Glen Coe, there were some spectacular views of rugged mountains, snowfields and deep valleys, a few pine trees and lots of tussock grasses. Our next port of call was at Fort William, a pretty tourist town set besides the beginning of Loch Ness, we passed through Fort Agustus and on to our destination for the night at Drumnadoch , overlooking Loch ness. Unfortunately Urquhart castle was closed for renovations so it was difficult getting a decent photo. After a very nice dinner we walked the short distance to the village and found a very quaint old pub called the fiddler. A joke was played on Joni, the drink she ordered arrived in a rounded bottomed glass, when she complained about glass the barmaid suggested she had too much to drink, this created a good laugh from these friendly people.
Next morning we travelled further north along the shores of Loch Ness to Inverness, unfortunately the weather started to turn nasty but we did manage a quick look around the city, an old foot swing bridge was a bit scary when walking on it as there was quite a bit of movement. Our journey back south took us through Glen Carry, the cloud had come down to nearly wheel level so no chance to admire the scenery. A stop at Perth city was out as it was raining heavily, a shame I hadn’t been there before. Of course the rain stopped when we arrived back in Edinburgh.
It was now time to pack my bag for my flight to Heathrow to meet up with Keith, an old friend whom I will spend the last three days with. A last farewell dinner the night before was at the beautiful Woodside Inn that has the sailing ship galley framing the dining room, there were some lovely carved figures and stained glass windows, our meal was superb along with some very nice tenants beer.
My departure from Edinburgh Airport looked unlikely by the thick fog but seemed to clear enough to depart. It was very hard to say goodbye to my friends but just one glance at them told me how happy they were together.
My arrival at Heathrow was on schedule but no Keith, about an hour later he arrived all flustered, his cars exhaust had fallen off close to the airport, luckily he managed to have it repaired temporary . Soon we were on our way to Benfleet in Essex, northeast of London. It was great to see Keith again, it must be three years since he came out to N.Z. for a visit so what better way to relax and catch up with life than over a pint in a very old pub called Hoy and Helmet. Heavy low beams and lots of pictures and paintings showed the hotel dated back to the 18th century, as usual we enjoyed another nice pub meal.
Overnight there was very heavy rain but fine in the morning, the exhaust system on keith’s car needed replacing then we were off to see the sights, firstly Camby Island, close by and only separated from the mainland by a tidal stream, it was very flat and needed a high wall on the seaside to stop the island from flooding. Next we drove into the countryside of Essex, passing through many small towns and villages, some very picturesque like Burnham on Crouch, Maldon and Danbury. Battles Bridge had some very interesting old wooden buildings. On to Rayleigh town with it’s many old houses. On the journey back we stopped in to see the remains of Hatleigh Castle high on a hill overlooking Camby Island, not much left to see but it must have been a very impressive Castle in it’s days, the walls were easy a mitre thick. Keith cooked a nice dinner at his place, a change from eating out all the time. Rain set in again so it was a good night to enjoy some TV.. We watched “A star for the Night “ and who wants to be a millionaire, two excellent programs.
My last full day in England, raining again, we took a train to South end and waited in a beautiful old pub for another friend Alan to arrive. We all took a walk in the rain around the town and saw the Cliff Pavilion where lot’s of great live shows are performed. Along the seafront were lot’s of side shows and mini casinos, plus a mile ling jetty, not a day for photography, another pub and a very nice meal, then back on the train to the next town called Leigh-on-Sea, lots of old seafront fish factories and another old pub. A shame on the weather as the sea front would have been more pleasant in the sunshine. Time for goodbyes to Alan, it was nice to catch up with him again. This was the end of my last day of sightseeing, tomorrow it is homeward bound.
What a surprise, the day I have to go home and the sun is shining. Had my last suicide breakfast and after checking the traffic on the motorways discovered there had been an accident and traffic was banked up for twenty miles so we needed an alternative route to the airport. Here in N.Z.. if there are a dozen cars waiting , that’s our traffic jams.
Security at the airport wasn’t as strict as I thought it should have been but I guess behind the scenes our luggage was well x-rayed. My flights home were long and tiring but at least I did have my isle seats which allowed me to walk around the plane.
This trip has been brief but wonderful to have the honour of being best man at the wedding of two wonderful people, I wish them every happiness there is and hopefully I will see them in Mooloolaba, Australia where I am going to settle as soon as my house sells. I will miss Hamilton, my hometown of 45 years plus but to see my family I need to be closer to where they live.
End of another wonderful adventure.
Cheers
JIM
This short story is dedicated to a very special union between two wonderful people….
Harry Letch & Joni Merendino.
After the many hassles with terrible disasters in new York and Washington, plus the near receivership of New Zealand’s flag ship “ Air N.Z. “ which I was originally booked on but my travel agent managed to change my tickets to Singapore Airlines just in case I would loose my money.
My friends from Los Angeles, Alvina and Robbie had been staying with me before my departure and we all left the same day, me to Edinburgh and my friends back to the tension that was still with the people of America.
My flight was long and tiring , a change of planes in Singapore, refuel stop at Brussels, Belgium then on to Manchester, England and finally a domestic flight to Edinburgh.
My friend Harry was there to welcome me and take me to his and Joni’s rented home in Dalgety Bay , Fife. After a much needed shower and change of clothes it was time to hear all the plans for their forthcoming marriage at Gretna Green and then three days later the reception in the beautiful old Ravensworth Arms English pub which is near Birtley , New Castle-upon-Tyne.
Wedding present time for Harry and Joni with gifts I brought from there New Zealand friends, these included a wooden frames oval wall clock, wooden coasters, cheese board and pot stand, all in N.Z. Rimu timber, a lovely oil painting of a N.Z. scene of mountains and a lake. There was also a delicate pair of Champagne glasses with their names frosted on and a little Kiwi on the base.
My first day in Scotland was mild and sunny after heavy rain during the night. After the first of many what I call suicide breakfasts ( bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms and tomatoes ), typical of Great Britain Harry took me on a tour around the lush countryside, quaint villages, Lakes and picturesque country lanes. A stop at a most interesting old Pub for my first taste of local beer, many brews to choose from, there were many collectables on the walls ( reminds me of my place ). Moving on to another pub meant to view the beautiful dining room of the Woodside Inn, an old sailing ships galley had been used for the décor.
Next day we took a drive into Edinburgh, this was my third visit to the beautiful city, the previous times the sun was shining and so it was again. Princes Street still looks elegant with the colourful sunken gardens on the other side of the street. As I had an injury to my leg it was difficult to walk much distance, also parking is just impossible near the main area so it was a chance to explore the city by car, we did manage a car park behind the Castle so I was able to take some different photos from the usual.
Next morning Joni went for a prenuptial manicure while Harry and I did some more sightseeing, we found some very nice villages plus a thousand year old church still being used, a feature was the lovely stained glass windows. Late afternoon we made the 2-½ hour journey to Gretna Green through rolling countryside and little villages in the distance from the motorway. I had visited Gretna Green over twenty years ago and it still looked the same with it’s old Blacksmiths Shop, pubs and lots of bed and breakfast places, we had booked into a lovely old one, then had nice meal in the Crossways Inn.
Next morning the 10th October after a very stormy night the weather managed to clear for this very important day for Harry and Joni which I had travelled around the world to witness. After a suicide breakfast and doing my best to calm Harry, reassuring him that his hair was not too short or his tie was knotted wrongly it was time for action at the Registry Office. Harry’s sister’s Iris and Muriel arrived from Birtley with Iris’s husband Ritchie, also with us was Joni’s daughter Diana who had come her from America. The civil ceremony took about ten minutes, in that time it changed Harry’s 50 plus years of freedom to a very lucky man.
A short distance away was the Blacksmiths Shop , an ideal setting for those wedding photos. Many years ago young couples used to elope to Gretna Green , they could marry without their parent’s permission, now it is still a very romantic place to come to. The first photos were taken in the anvil room, an old coach in the background made a good backdrop along with the kilted Scotsman who performed a further ceremony as it had probably been done all those years ago. The courtyard also lent to some nice pictures, a spiral iron staircase decked in flowers was also very pretty. A lone piper completed the picture for this very happy couple.
Our small wedding party retired to the Crossways Inn for as luncheon, no small helping here, as usual it was a very tasty meal.
Harry and Joni left us for a couple of days by themselves before collecting Joni’s two sons who were coming from America for the wedding reception, I travelled back to Birtley with Harry’s sisters, his brother-in-law and Joni’s daughter Diana. I stayed with Iris and Ritchie till after the reception. I was able to get to a doctor with my painful leg; the medication soon eased the pain. All medical treatment is free for the over 65’s and I was entered as a Temporary Resident which also covered my medication. Ritchie took me for a long drive to see the sights around New Castle, firstly the huge red steel statue of “The Angel of the North “ with it’s outstretched arms, and built on a hill it could be seen for miles around. Next to the Tyne’s old bridge and the new millennium masterpiece simply called “ the Eye “, a half circle footbridge anchored with huge steel ropes that lift it high in the air when shipping passes by.
Next morning I met up with an old friend Gary cooper from Durham who kindly took me on a tour of the Durham sights starting with the old cobbled streets leading up to the huge cathedral with it’s lovely leadlight windows showing biblical scenes and beautifully carved seats , the size of the cathedral was just so hard to imagine from the outside. We moved on to a huge covered in market where I managed to add some more C.D’s to my collection and a few little collectables of Durham. We then drove to an even larger shopping complex called Suderland, it seemed to be closed in over cobbled streets . A new highway was unique with it’s under road heating and large flower bowls along it’s length . after Gary dropped me off back in Birtley it was time to join the lads pub night, Friday, Harry and Joni had arrived back and it was great to catch up with old friends and more of Harry’s family.
I have found that cycling is kind to my injured leg so Ritchie and I took to the road travelling on some pretty lanes and lush countryside, all too soon one reaches another town and another huge shopping complex.
Saturday, the wedding reception was held in the lovely old Ravensworth Arms Hotel, the cosy dining room was tastefully decorated in pink and white ( Harry’s colours ) , lots of English and American flags and flowers everywhere. The buffet style meal was nicely presented and a very nice Australian red wine was to my liking. I was a bit nervous when it came to my turn for a speech , being the best man and the only kiwi here among these north English people, I did get quite a good hearing even though I read it, claiming that us New Zealander’s are very shy . The night was very mild which aloud us to make use of a very nice outdoors setting after all the formal part of the evening was over. During the reception a novelty flying pig with wings flapped around the room attached to a long string, the motive of this was Harry’s answer to the question , when is he getting married….” Pigs will fly first “ The evening continued until late and was a most friendly, enjoyable wedding to celebrate the union of these two wonderful people.
During the night it rained again but was now clear so Ritchie took me to a “boot sale” market before Iris’s Sunday roast dinner. This was an experience I had never seen before, a whole football field was taken up with vehicles with their boots up and selling anything from household items, C. D.’s & tapes, motor parts, clothing , jewellery and toys. A pork sandwich just about filled me for the day, it was huge and I still had to front up to Iris’s roast. We stopped off at another large shopping complex run by the Church of England where I tried to buy a flying pig to take home but they had sold out. The roast dinner complete with Yorkshire puddings was well received from the twelve who enjoyed it.
Harry and Joni took the two boys back to Manchester for their flight back to America while I did some more sightseeing which included a remarkable Garden Centre currently selling Christmas novelties by the acre. The newly weds arrived back late after having to battle a 30 mile traffic build-up, we were to go back to Edinburgh but decided the next morning would be better.
Having said goodbyes to my wonderful hosts , it was so great being able to stay with local people instead of motels, you learn lots about the customs and style of living. Blue sky made the journey pleasant, we travelled on the A 1 highway till we reached the lovely old town of Alnwich where Harry and Joni have bought their dream home just a short distance from the town, it is a lovely two storied place , formal dining and lounge rooms , a nice conservatory and mature gardens. The town itself has a long history, there is still remains of the town wall, a large castle and most important to Joni a hardware shop that sold just about everything. Our next stop was Bamburg town for lunch in a nice pub overlooking the little fishing harbour on the North Sea. The nearby castle has always been a favourite of mine.
Soon we were back in Dalgety Bay, time for a little relaxing before preparing for a two day trip north to Inverness. The morning dawned clear and mild as we started the journey, firstly crossing the Kincardine Bridge at Edinburgh and followed the northern route passed Stirling and Dunblane, our first stop was to view Loch Lubnaig, a very pretty lake, winding further north we travelled through Glen Coe, there were some spectacular views of rugged mountains, snowfields and deep valleys, a few pine trees and lots of tussock grasses. Our next port of call was at Fort William, a pretty tourist town set besides the beginning of Loch Ness, we passed through Fort Agustus and on to our destination for the night at Drumnadoch , overlooking Loch ness. Unfortunately Urquhart castle was closed for renovations so it was difficult getting a decent photo. After a very nice dinner we walked the short distance to the village and found a very quaint old pub called the fiddler. A joke was played on Joni, the drink she ordered arrived in a rounded bottomed glass, when she complained about glass the barmaid suggested she had too much to drink, this created a good laugh from these friendly people.
Next morning we travelled further north along the shores of Loch Ness to Inverness, unfortunately the weather started to turn nasty but we did manage a quick look around the city, an old foot swing bridge was a bit scary when walking on it as there was quite a bit of movement. Our journey back south took us through Glen Carry, the cloud had come down to nearly wheel level so no chance to admire the scenery. A stop at Perth city was out as it was raining heavily, a shame I hadn’t been there before. Of course the rain stopped when we arrived back in Edinburgh.
It was now time to pack my bag for my flight to Heathrow to meet up with Keith, an old friend whom I will spend the last three days with. A last farewell dinner the night before was at the beautiful Woodside Inn that has the sailing ship galley framing the dining room, there were some lovely carved figures and stained glass windows, our meal was superb along with some very nice tenants beer.
My departure from Edinburgh Airport looked unlikely by the thick fog but seemed to clear enough to depart. It was very hard to say goodbye to my friends but just one glance at them told me how happy they were together.
My arrival at Heathrow was on schedule but no Keith, about an hour later he arrived all flustered, his cars exhaust had fallen off close to the airport, luckily he managed to have it repaired temporary . Soon we were on our way to Benfleet in Essex, northeast of London. It was great to see Keith again, it must be three years since he came out to N.Z. for a visit so what better way to relax and catch up with life than over a pint in a very old pub called Hoy and Helmet. Heavy low beams and lots of pictures and paintings showed the hotel dated back to the 18th century, as usual we enjoyed another nice pub meal.
Overnight there was very heavy rain but fine in the morning, the exhaust system on keith’s car needed replacing then we were off to see the sights, firstly Camby Island, close by and only separated from the mainland by a tidal stream, it was very flat and needed a high wall on the seaside to stop the island from flooding. Next we drove into the countryside of Essex, passing through many small towns and villages, some very picturesque like Burnham on Crouch, Maldon and Danbury. Battles Bridge had some very interesting old wooden buildings. On to Rayleigh town with it’s many old houses. On the journey back we stopped in to see the remains of Hatleigh Castle high on a hill overlooking Camby Island, not much left to see but it must have been a very impressive Castle in it’s days, the walls were easy a mitre thick. Keith cooked a nice dinner at his place, a change from eating out all the time. Rain set in again so it was a good night to enjoy some TV.. We watched “A star for the Night “ and who wants to be a millionaire, two excellent programs.
My last full day in England, raining again, we took a train to South end and waited in a beautiful old pub for another friend Alan to arrive. We all took a walk in the rain around the town and saw the Cliff Pavilion where lot’s of great live shows are performed. Along the seafront were lot’s of side shows and mini casinos, plus a mile ling jetty, not a day for photography, another pub and a very nice meal, then back on the train to the next town called Leigh-on-Sea, lots of old seafront fish factories and another old pub. A shame on the weather as the sea front would have been more pleasant in the sunshine. Time for goodbyes to Alan, it was nice to catch up with him again. This was the end of my last day of sightseeing, tomorrow it is homeward bound.
What a surprise, the day I have to go home and the sun is shining. Had my last suicide breakfast and after checking the traffic on the motorways discovered there had been an accident and traffic was banked up for twenty miles so we needed an alternative route to the airport. Here in N.Z.. if there are a dozen cars waiting , that’s our traffic jams.
Security at the airport wasn’t as strict as I thought it should have been but I guess behind the scenes our luggage was well x-rayed. My flights home were long and tiring but at least I did have my isle seats which allowed me to walk around the plane.
This trip has been brief but wonderful to have the honour of being best man at the wedding of two wonderful people, I wish them every happiness there is and hopefully I will see them in Mooloolaba, Australia where I am going to settle as soon as my house sells. I will miss Hamilton, my hometown of 45 years plus but to see my family I need to be closer to where they live.
End of another wonderful adventure.
Cheers
JIM
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