THE WEDDING - 6th June 2004 (by Dave)

Morning I woke up at 5am after having the strangest of dreams, I NEVER FAIL TO SLEEP (OH MY GOD I AM GETTING MARRIED). After two hours of meditation and Qi Gong, a shower and the most mediocre breakfast the Kassam Holiday Express Inn (Express apparently means no mini bar) could offer, Matty drove me down to D and Nats house to pick up my car and the PA. Tom then accompanied me to Lains Barn to set up the system and on the way down we listened to The Beatles to what was the beginnings of a glorious day (OH MY GOD I AM GETTING MARRIED).

With beautiful flowers already in place and Ailsa's parents already in the process of hanging the swags, the PA crew set up the sound system and prepared for the presentation of the Best Mans Speech (OH JOY). We were ready for the big day.

I got changed in the Milton Hill Hotel in Wheels's room as my abode was currently being occupied by my future wife (OH MY GOD I AM GETTING MARRIED). After realising my two best men and myself weren't entirely sure where the rings where (but we felt confident we could find them) we popped to the bar to see people arriving and maybe a little Dutch courage. I suppose it was at that point when I saw all my family and friends in the bar I realised OH MY GOD I AM GETTING MARRIED.

Firstly the managers of the Milton didn't want to open the bar after persuasion from my Dad and I would imagine a few threats they opened it in order for me to get a quick nip of Brandy (or maybe a couple of nips not quite sure). Feeling a little more relaxed I presented my Nan with a corsage and then it was time to go.

Sheppard drove me down to the barn as I had driven him to his wedding in March to start one of the most mental days of my life.

Initially after checking the sound system one last time, meeting the registrar and greeting people, I waited by myself with a hundred friends and family behind me. I have heard 'Here Comes the Sun' by The Beatles a million times and ever since Ailsa and I had agreed that this was going to be the tune Ailsa walked up the aisle to I had tried to imagine her and this moment. Nothing has ever moved me so much or I doubt ever will, Ailsa looked beautiful and gave me a quick wink as she walked down. I had to fight hard to keep the tears back. Later on I was told that everybody were far more liberal than I was with their tears.

Ailsa may not have looked that nervous but when she reached me she held my hand with grip that a Russian arm wrestler would be proud of. The Ceremony itself was beautiful, the readings were immaculately done by Mandy (Reading 1) and Beck (Reading 2) Ailsa and I managed to read our vows without crying, laughing or sneezing.

Wheels managed a nice manoeuvre when he was asked to give me Ailsa's ring and kept giving me mine, I kept telling him to give me the girls ring and not the boys ring and I think he finally sorted it out.

As we signed the register, 'Love Gets Sweeter Every Day' by Finely Quay and 'Till There Was You' by The Beatles played and then Jonboy (best man, where are the bloody rings) and Janine witnessed our marriage. Then came the onslaught everyone taking a million pictures which was proper scary I am not the most photogenic of people!!!!!

We walked out of the barn after being pronounced man and wife (OH MY GOD) to 'You and Me Song' by The Wannadies.

There were loads of photos, hugging, laughing, general merry making and drinking of fizzy in the glorious Oxford sunshine. Matty the Minster of outdoor games endeavoured to show his skills at boules and my only real memory of this time was going from person to person hugging them and going woah.

Here are a few photos of the boyz and the girlz. The girls and boys photos needed some minor doctoring as some people were Missing In Action presumed in the toilet or at the bar.

After a time (I have no idea could be hours or minutes) Ailsa and I got into a line with our parents and we greeted everyone in to barn for the meal. The line had a fairly good flow to it, until all of a sudden my Nan appeared in the line and immediately it became like the M25 on a Friday afternoon while Nan told every person her life story and her age (by the way she is not 85 or 84 she is 87).

Ailsa's father had decided that flying balloons where a terrific idea for the tables during the meal and it lead to absolute chaos. There were inter-table wars when people released balloons at each other causing general mayhem. During this cacophony of noise Wheels and I saw Ailsa putting her head in her hand and shaking her head and saying 'my wedding is chaos' (Ailsa we were getting married that was inevitable). This was interspersed with the silence of people eating their food. It was a very pleasant meal and even Dave Sheppard could smile with his favourite dessert of profiteroles and cheesecake.

After the food came along the speeches and Wheels (bestman, toast master and overall cheese and nuts dude) introduced Ailsa's dad (speech), who gave an amusing account of marriage, marrying a Scott/Chalmers lady and worrying Ailsa (and even Mandy) from time to time with stories of when she was younger.

Then it was my turn, my speech I tried to deliver a speech that was sensitive at points but also amusing. How easy is it to say amusing things and how difficult is it to tell people your inner most thoughts with out getting emotionally charged.

Then it was Wheels who delivered the kind of speech that is trademark Williamson, that was slickly presented, comprehensively researched, full of cheese (nuts included at no extra charge) and bloody funny. He even managed to be nice to me as well.

My dad also managed to get a bit of speech in, after an initial pause until he could make something up, he managed to talk in true salesman style doing what Homfray's do best. His little story about the dangers of drinking mead and it's high fertility constant will be, I am sure something everybody will remember.

After the great food and wine came a quick clear up and arrangement of chairs and tables for a final boogie. Ailsa and I started the dancing of with the traditional first dance. We had discussed what cool songs would we dance to and after a while when we had remembered neither of us could actually dance, we decided we had better choose something amusing. We nearly chose Barry White - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love but the final decision was for the classic Barry Manilow - Love Is In The Air. After what seemed forever people finally joined in and started dancing, with my Nan taking the dance floor by storm.

Half way through the evening's music, there was some Scottish dancing which was called by James who looked very fine in his kilt. What I am pretty sure of is that he was unprepared for the English being so dreadful at understanding dance concepts. The first attempt proved to be a shambles, I never danced with a girl at all and I never moved from the spot (the general rule is you dance down the line with your female partner), this degenerated into me and Shef dancing in circles giggling like school girls. We were subsequently told off and it was explained again. The second attempt proved better everyone managed to get down the line (although Mandy and the Grinner had a few issues with the dance routine), and it nearly looked like we knew what we were doing. When we did it for the final time we had mastered the routine (ha ha) and apart from most men wearing trousers you would of never guessed we were south of Hadrian's Wall.

Then it turned to the mastery of DJ Master D, to get the party rockin and with a special memory of my Mum rockin to Underworld - Cowgirl we danced the night away although I seem to remember propping up the bar a bit as well (well it was my wedding as well).

At 12ish we all took the bus back to Milton Hill and I got back to the happy scene of the bar being open and lots of thirsty colonels needing another good drink. After a wee nightcap I retired full of thoughts of a day which was one of the most memorable and emotional days ever.