Spliced!
Congratulations Neil and Louise. Neil Gore is now Mr. ands Mrs. Gore and Alexander Gore. They did it on Sunday 16th April at the Limpley Stoke Hotel near Bath. Me and my wife, Jeni, drove down Saturday morning - a very pleasant journey. We found the hotel very easily, booked in, had a walk about then went off to Hinton Charterhouse to The Stag Inn, a splendid hostlery owned and run by the family of Wendy Parkin, a friend of mine. The meal was cooked by Christopher, Wendy's brother, (an enormous and delicious - lamb shank for me, halibut for Jeni) . Wine, snuff, cigars, coffee and good conversation rounded off the occasion. So if you're ever in the area you'd better book - it was heaving.
The aforementioned Wendy was present in The Stag with Jane, alias, Pellican. Another Jane arrived with Neil Carter, her husband. He had been at Rose Bruford's with my eldest daughter, Hanna. From there it became a torrent of past aquaintences, bizarre coincidences, new associations and new discovered common ground.
But first I had to race back to Our house so that I could cook Easter Sunday lunch, along with Brian Turner, on Great Food Live, which, though I say it myself, was absolutely delicious. Then I had to dash back to Limpley Stoke for the wedding.
The whole event was rounded off with a knees up. Wendy cracked the whip as MD; Neil Gore 'called' two barn-type dances (I can't remember quite what he called them); Neil C., played piano (a two-legged grand piano 'cos a leg fell off when we moved it. Two beer crates solved the problem). Jane sang, along with Wendy, who also played guitar; Jimmy played drums (I'll insert his surname later); three musical demons were in attendance - banjo, guitar and harmonicas. To my shame I can't trust my memory of their names. Again, I'll insert them later. Emily, on voice and William, on electric violin gave us a song from Return to the Forbidden Planet. However, the most memorable memory - yours truly was allowed to play bass: RESULT!
