Wedding Number One - Enter the Woods!

Ashbourne Derbyshire, Home of the Kirtleys.

Robin and Ayla and Tom flew into Gatwick and Heathrow respectively on Thursday 14th.  Thanks to Nigel who drove manfully through the London airports traffic congestion to pick them all up and bring them back to Rooks Hill.  I fail to understand why anyone would want to add another runway to Heathrow, it is already mostly a car park on the M25 for 20 miles either side of the airport, but that i understand is the plan.  Like many things about the UK now that totally baffle me.  We will talk more about Brexit later.  Anyway back at Rooks Hill we all sit down to a wonderful vegetable curry supper prepared by Jane and tumble early into bed to be ready for an early start tomorrow.

On the drive to Ashbourne

We diverted from the drive to the Newport Pagnell services on the M1to collect Simon who had arrived in the UK on Tuesday and had been staying with his skiing mate Deesley for a few days.  So we were 6 in the mining bus and it was chockers with suitcases and baggage as we trundled up to Ashbourne, home of the Kirtleys. There was even a massive hat box that went up as luggage on Simons lap.

We found our place to stay for the next few days, part of the Station Hotel, which is now across the road from where the station used to be.  But the line of the old railway, which included a tunnel through the hill behind the station, are still there and in use as a walking and cycle path up to the Dales, and incidentally the Callow Hall Hotel where the wedding reception was held.

The Station Hotel - the station itself was demolished in 1968!

 We unpacked, sorted out the ironing of shirts and trews, and prepared ourselves for the pre-Wedding dinner at Callow Hall.  We all walked through the tunnel and on up to the Hall by about 7pm and after drinks in the bar whist waiting for the others to arrives (see photos below) we had a great sit down dinner for 40!  There were about 20 guests from Australia there that night and the rest were "locals".  Becky's dad had been a local GP and so the family is well known in the area.  And Becky's sister had graduated as a Doctor on the Wednesday before, so there was lots to celebrate.  And later that night we all walked back through the tunnel to the Station Hotel.

Kaye Family Pre-Dinner Drinks in the Callow Hall Hotel

 So on to the main event, the wedding of Julian Wood and Becky Kirtley.  After another morning of ironing and preening ourselves were ready to go to the church.  Look at Jane! What a gem.

Jane ready for the main event!  Dressed by Judy - thanks!

The wedding ceremony was held at the local St Oswald's church. A beautiful medieval gem of a place there are bit of windows that are reported to go back to the original building consecrated in 1281!!! How old is that.....

St Oswald's church, Ashbourne

The lancet window with stained glass dated to 1281.

Another wonderful window in the church

 The bride arrived dead on 1pm and the vicar did her thing and they were pronounced man and wife by 2pm.  Hymns included Jerusalem and Love Divine.  All the old classics, sung with gusto, and a choir.

After they left the church we were shut in briefly whist they took photos outside against the old church doors! And then the bells started. They are very proud of the bells at St Oswald's.  The various plaques attest to the fact they can ring peals of 5000 plus changes in 4 hours and do so whenever they can think of a reason to, Queens Jubilees etc.

Plaques about bellringing in the church.

You can see the bell pull ropes under the tower.

The melee outside the church went on with photos and chat for about an hour. See photos below.

Jane and Anne, got to love those hats...

Happy bride Becky and her mum...

Tom and Simon looking very smart!

Rob and Ayla enjoying the moment.

Linda photo bombing the Kayes!

Then back to Callow Hall for a wedding breakfast and toasts and speeches at about 5pm and then a dinner and dancing from about 7pm!  Much eating and drinking followed; duck, salmon, chips, roast veg,  spit roast sucking pig, wines, puddings, cake cutting, more teas and coffee, more toasts, dancing, cigars (Ben Wood was just back from Cuba with the real things).  Beautifully thought through decorations and table pieces of books and cards and the menus on chocolate bars and beautiful flowers everywhere.  Becky and her crew had done a wonderful job of making the place look just fantastic.

Then we all took carriages home at about midnight.  What a day and night.  Beautiful! A selection of photos from the afternoon and evening are given below for your perusal..

The groom in mid-speech.