Tillmouth Park, is near Cornhill on Tweed, Berwick on Tweed,
(you'll guess that this place is near to the river Tweed
if only by counting the number of times they slip the word Tweed into place names around here).

the wedding of Nicola and Michael was held here.

cream roses were in abundance,
one here is abunding on a table edge.

The little lady in the foreground is little Ellie

little Olly is in the background,

(sorry Olly - couldn't resist it - I know you're really called Holly)

Ellie was a delight - however - she was only two,
this age means . . . .

flexible moods,

(to say the least !)

the smiles are generated by yours truly,
balancing a camera on my nose

(or something similar)

to the right - we see a lady applying finishing touches to makeup,
in a two handed movement that would get anyone banned from driving for a year.

(yup - I cross my hands over the wheel like that, but not whilst applying mascara).

little Holly proves to be a girl who is completely camera shy.

yeah. and I'm a Dutchmans uncle.

photograph above, taken by one Dutchmans uncle

meanwhile . . Michael awaits downstairs,
quite relaxed. in a rather splendid setting,
whilst his best man Paul
makes some very suspicious hand movements.

(checking on the rings . . . . definitely )

Time whizzes on and Nicola has arrived, the ceremony proceeds with readings.

(the reader is in the background behind a most helpful registrar
who allowed unobtrusive quiet photography -
which is, incidentally, what I do.. )

Vows are made - it all gets a bit serious

until little Ellie spots the mad camera guy in the corner.

I panic in case her giggles get vocal

much silent shushing from me . . finger to lips . . . miming . . .

phew . . she stayed quiet.

Serious bits over - a round of aplause,
Nicolas parents in the front row along with Grandma -

Grandma is really getting into the clapping !

it's nice to see the really genuine smiles on folks faces.

Hah . we hop outside

well not hop exactly -

the drinks would probably spill.

and hopping would look silly.

so we err. walk outside.

(doesn't sound the same though, does it ?)

Obligatory group pictures follow for a few moments -
but this being near to the Scottish Borders, a quick glance at the weather indicates that if it isn't raining,
it must be due to rain, so we hurry along at great speed.

(what a day. . . . April . . I drove up here with hailstones lashing off my car windscreen . .
snow on rooftops, mist and fog,
I saw a rainbow on a valley floor - horizontal - never seen that before - wow.
anyhow. I digress. . . group pictures. taken quickly. . . .

I like to take such pictures as quickly as possible,
not because I'm lazy (which I am anyway)

but because, If I were a wedding guest -
I'd get bored with standing around posing all day.

so I'm being purely selfish here.

anyway - we had to beat the rain.

as I mentioned earlier - it's near to Scotland,
the sun is shining, and that means the rain has stopped
and is due to start again shortly . . .

Ah you say

but don't you take any arty pictures?

ok then. just a couple or ten

Tillmouth Hall's staircase is quite useful for showing off Nicolas dress.

I'm sure that's why they put it there in the first place.

I can just hear the conversation - 100 years ago

och aye - and when Nicolas wedding comes around -
the staircase will be in a pairfect place for her

(pairfect . . scottish word meaning perfect)

This place is too good to be true,
more pictures on the stairs ensue.

(this is not a poem - the sentence just started off that way)

I swivel my motorised camera thingummyjig around
and grab a picture of Nicola and Michael just before they go through the doorway to look at the room.

at this moment - the door swings open.

bif.

(a similar door on the floor above got me in a similar way later on in the evening).

I'd say bif but it was really a BOP.

the cake awaits,

as does the room,
which quickly fills with guests.

(NO you fool - the cake doesn't fill with guests,
the room does)

below - is a picture of room filled with guests below

(was that two many belows in one sentence ?) . .

Never mind the details,

lets see the people we hear you say.

this is Nicolas father

(and for the observant. this is also a picture of Nicola).

taken during the speeches

Michael begins his speech, politely ribbing folks here and there.

below - a speech demon lurks,
watching . . waiting . . .
considering it's moment of attack.

yes .. it's the best man.

and what a speaker !
when he started up - there wasn't a dry eye in the building,
I even spotted the staff peeking around a corner and giggling at his speech !

generally everyone

(or everyone in general) transfixed and laughing at the best mans speech.

Nicolas grandfather is also part of the audience

The meal over,
we look outside and find . . . . it isn't raining !

wow. must make use of this opportunity.

we hop outside.

take a picture

Then the heavens open, a gale force wind gets up
(and goes away just as quickly)

so we content ourselves with a picture of Nicolas dress (and Nicola in it)

in a doorway - photographed under a brolly.

this was really true - the rain was stair rods / cats n dogs.

persisting down is the expression some might use.

we notice a difference in temperature between
outside and inside.

so we go . . . . inside !

(surprise surprise).

Hah - she thought I'd finished taking pictures,
but I staked out a spot on the staircase
and when Nicola came back down with dress all bustled up for dancing (technical term)

(bustling is the technical term - not dancing).

I nabbed a quick picture then she continued on her way down to the dance floor.

and without so much as a moments delay.

Nicola and Michael knock em dead on the floor !

brilliant footwork -
aided by much practise in the kitchen at home
with their little stereo . ..
if the speeches are anything to be believed . . .

(thats an 'in joke'. you don't need to know . . . . . so there)

with the athleticism of a tortoise on speed,
I run upstairs to get more pictures of the dancing,

luckily they dance for a couple of minutes

as it took me about 5 minutes to negotiate a crowded doorway then a staircase and then a door that swung into my tripod, then when pushed a bit harder, swung into my face.

yikes . . bop !

or more truthfully

bop . owya !

I got the pictures though.

(I ended up feeling like my bruised forehead had worked hard for them)

I'd like to meet the idiot who invented the self closing door . . .

I slink off into the rainy night, Leaving a party in full swing.

I glimpsle (badly spelled glimpse) Nicola dancing with her father
through the open door of the hall. click. got picture . .

I thought I'd quietly slipped out - when Nicola dashed to the balcony and gave me a lovely wave.

such a lovely girl, tremendous place, friendly staff.

Nicola and Michael . thank you for the meal - it wasn't necessary - it really wasn't -

but it was very much appreciated.

and . . deepest apologies for the Scottish Borders rain comments.

none of them were true . . .

well . . I'll bring wellies next time . .

the place is splendid in the sunshine - and the periods of sunshine were timed to perfection,
and all this on a day when the rest of the UK had football matches cancelled etc because of freak bad weather.

(dunno what's freakish about bad weather in the UK . . .
half an inch of snow and the whole country grinds to a halt . . moan moan. grumble grumble).