Three weeks ago I wrote a blog anticipating my cousin's wedding later that day. It appears that the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay, and that the weather was not at its shining best.

I have received this report from someone who was there, though Shelagh from her e-mails appears to have noticed nothing much amiss, although she did remark that the weather wasn't very good and she did come back from her honeymoon with the start of a nasty cough!

"Your hopeful blog about Shelagh's wedding day was not fulfilled. Thursday was overcast and cool, Friday was gloriously warm and sunny, Saturday morning dawned damp and chilly and got worse! By 2pm it was bitterly cold with sleety showers and the marquee wasn't - if you see what I mean - it was more gazebo! We shivered through the service and fortunately between the service and the reception local people went home and came back to the Commons with jumpers, fleeces and blankets that they distributed to the shivering masses. We did not make such a pretty picture at the reception but at least we were warmer! In his speech David thanked people for all the love and affection everyone was sharing with him and Shelagh and how warm they felt, that brought the retort from Emma -"that because they are the ones with the heater under the table!". On Monday night - the first time we watched TV after a sunny cool Sunday and warmer sunny Monday - we saw a news item that told us the "snow belt that wiped out spring and caused chaos in BC on Saturday is now affecting Ottowa" - at least we did not actually get snow!"

Mind you, Shelagh was taught to swim in the Thames and used to swim in Cleethorpes Bathing Pool (large, outdoors and reputedly known to have iceberges floating in it even in August - I learned to swim there myself and had a season ticket most summers) whenever she visited us or our grandparents, so maybe she is not as sensitive to cold as some people. I distinctly remember Uncle Peter (her father) compaining about having to brave the fearful (indoor) heat of the north American winter - this is back in the 1960s when, in England, central heating was for wimps; and my friends will testify that I am a great window opener. So maybe there's a seal or polar bear gene that some people didn't inherit!

The same e-mail quoted above also served to remind me that I had totally fogotten another family wedding - no card, no present, not so much as a good wish! I realise that with more than a dozen of the next generation in their twenties and late teens these events will come thick and fast over the next few years, but not so much so that I should overlook them to such an extent!