Celebrations

This is the first chance I’ve had to write since ‘The’ wedding last Friday.  I’m not a great celebrity follower.  I don’t buy copies of Hello magazine or trawl the Internet for juicy tit bits.  I might occasionally pick up a glossy mag if there is something particular that catches my eye but I’m mostly too busy getting on living my own life, seeing my own friends and family to be overly interested in what so and so is doing this week, who’s going out with who and who has dumped who.  I’d much rather spend my time and energy on people I can hug!

But I defy anyone not to have been caught up, at least a little bit, in the celebrations last week when William and Kate got married.  I know there are arguments for and against about the money spent on security, the disruption, companies giving staff extra time off but there are times when we all need something uplifting, something joyful, something to bring us all together.  And I think Friday was just such a day.

My daughter's tiara

I loved seeing all the people in London, enjoying the atmosphere, dressing up, having picnics in the park and just being part of the whole spectacle.  One of my best friends invited lots of us ‘girlies’ to her house and we celebrated in style. 

We all dressed up, even wearing hats and fascinators, toasted the bride and groom with champagne and had a great time checking out all the fashions.  (Some it has to be said more stylish and appropriate than others).  I still can’t work out how some of those hats stayed on – they seemed to defy the laws of gravity!

My wedding hat!

And I loved the fact even though this was a very royal, protocol driven day, steeped in hundreds of years of tradition it felt as if William and Kate were determined to put their very personal stamp on the whole day; from the guest list which included so many friends, colleagues, neighbours and representatives of their chosen charities, to the beautiful trees lining the aisle of the Abbey, to Kate’s exquisitely designed dress.  Somehow, they managed to make the whole nation feel as if they had been personally invited to celebrate their special day with them.  

I could pick out so many examples from the day but I just wanted to comment on two particular ones.   For me one of the highlights of the day was the sermon by Bishop Richard Chartres and the prayer written by William and Kate.  I’m listening to the sermon again as I write this and the words are so beautiful, inspiring and the message is incredibly powerful.  In this day and age, with access to the Internet this is a sermon we can all come back to time and time again and I’d urge people to do just that. Like the day itself I’m sure you’ll see and hear something new each time and be encouraged whatever your circumstances.

And for me there was a message in William and Kate’s prayer.  They were saying they appreciate they are in a privileged position but they see their role as serving the British people.  They asked for strength to give of themselves unselfishly to others, to you and me and to this nation.  This is the role the Queen has always seen herself in and she appears to have instilled this great sense of duty in her grandson. 

I must admit as I listened to Bishop Chatres I felt very proud to be a Christian, and to be British.

I titled this post ‘celebrations’ as we’ve recently had the great Easter celebrations, William and Kate’s wedding and yesterday a good friend of mine celebrated a significant birthday.  I was pleased to hear his friends threw him a surprise party and there’ll be more fun at the weekend.

But for me, one of the most memorable images of the Royal wedding took place well away from the glare of the cameras, it wasn’t on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and if it hadn’t been for the wonders of modern technology and the camera phone only a few people would have been witness to this particular event.  It was of course the ‘cart wheeling’ verger, Ben Sherrard.

The splendor of Westminster Abbey, the very regal, extremely long red carpet and the joy and relief at a job so very well done.  He just couldn’t help himself – like a mischievous child let loose in a big open space after having to be very well behaved he executed 2 near perfect cartwheels down the centre aisle of the Abbey.  No mean feat in a cassock!

If you’ve not yet seen this, just google  ‘cart wheeling’ verger.  For me he sums up how everyone was feeling and although he wasn’t one of the guests, isn’t a celebrity and many people won’t remember his name that image is going to stay with me and many others for a very long time.  Well done Ben, you summed up the very British tradition of pomp, ceremony................. and eccentricity!

Blessings to all-enjoy the rest of the week (must admit I could get used to these 3 and 4 day weeks!)

Jules xx