Hawkwind Wedding

[t.byrne]

A truly inspiring weekend; congratulations to Arin & Rich

I take my hat off to Mike Holmes for having the amazing presence of mind to itemise the set list. I am afraid I was too busy bopping.

Here is my account:

The proceedings started convivially with a wine reception. I can personally vouch for the quality of both the red and white wines offered. Both bride and groom were resplendent in multi-coloured outfits, a reflection of the colurful guests, no doubt.

The wedding ceremony took place on an extensive veranda overlooking the Atlantic. Arthur was the officiator, and his theme was the history of marriage. We were treated to an account of marriage's pagan origins, an explanation that the ring represented the joining of the male and female dichotomies into a unified whole, an account of the Synod of Whitby in 664 where the church in these islands resolved to take the Roman rather than the Celtic route, some musings on the "rule of thumb" and finally eloquent good wishes for Arin and Rich. The happy couple then exchanged personalised vows, supported by a good natured and stoical best man who was outrageously dressed in a 3 piece suit.

Drinks followed and then dinner and speeches - all very well received.

As for the evening entertainment, I can't fault Mike's list - I will only add that when Hawkwind sang "Where Are They Now" - it was obvious - they were all on the dance floor bopping.

Congratulations to Colin Allen to pristine sound qulaity. The delivery of all the songs was crisp and tight. Arthur has blended well into the band; an excellent front-man.

Many photographs were taken and will shortly be on the net, including (if she doesn't hide it first) the wife dancing vigorously to "Assault and Battery".

I can't tell you too much about the end of the evening, because I don't remember it terribly well, apart from the fact that trying to find an open take-away in Newquay after midnight is as lonely as any nocturnal walk Harry Haller ever made. In fact, the wolf in me would have been happy with a plate of chips, but remained unsatisfied.

What lingers after the event is the sense of everyone's bubbling good nature. It was a real "family" event.


Tom Byrne