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[morgue at large] Winchester Wedding
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morgue
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Aug 28, 2008 03:40 PDT
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(It's been ages since I last sent out one of these - I've made it back
to NZ already! Life was hectic on the road. Nevertheless, I'll try to
do the trip justice from back here.)
Longtime readers of morgueatlarge will remember that, in early days,
this was also the best internet source of Leon-related news. You heard
it here first when Leon and I met Joop Jagr on the plane over to the
UK (whatever happened to that guy?)
http://lists.topica.com/lists/morgueatlarge/read/message.html?mid=905250627
when Leon got his first job in the West End
http://lists.topica.com/lists/morgueatlarg/read/message.html?mid=905733962
and when I had to turn Leon into a God
http://lists.topica.com/lists/morgueatlarge/read/message.html?mid=909847425
Well, this tops all of them, because this is how Leon got married.
---
Leon is one of my oldest and closest friends. We met age ten in
school, and with Adrian we are the three Nomads, brooding BALOR
adventurers with the most uninspiring spirit animals of all time, the
donkey, the moose and the cow. Leon and I jumped on the plane together
to leave NZ on our great adventure, and the first floor we slept on
was Adrian's.
Leon met Laura working Phantom of the Opera. He was backstage, she was
front of house, and like all theatre people the Phantom crowd took
over a nearby pub as soon as they shut up shop late at night. And over
time, love blossomed, and soon Leon was embroiled in a long battle
with the UK home office to be able to stay in the UK with her. (I
think this means he's finally won, but I wouldn't be on it - the Home
Office moves slow but it can be vicious.)
Some time passed. They were engaged. I got myself over to the UK to
join them for the wedding, honoured by being Groomsman alongside Ado's
Best Man. Down in Winchester for the wedding, I met Laura's family for
the first time, and enjoyed glorious sunshine and pelting hail on the
same summer's day.
The service was held in a beautiful old stone church, where Laura's
dad served as bellringer. During the service, Laura's musical theatre
students performed a number complete with baseball-capped rap
interlude; other friends, fresh off the London stage, sang or read for
them. During the reception the students put on a show, performing
songs from Thoroughly Modern Millie and Saturday Night Fever. During
the dancing, a song came on that the students do their ab workout too
- instantly the floor was covered in teenagers doing stomach crunches.
The groom jumped down alongside them, and finally Laura scooted down
in her wedding dress to join in too. It was a ridiculously fun sort of
wedding, and every bit the perfect celebration for those two wonderful
people.
And in the face of that, how could Winchester compete? It's a
beautiful town, with ancient buildings, King Arthur's Round Table
(built in the 13th century or so), Jane Austen's house, and a meadow
walk that inspired Keats ode "To Autumn" - but how could any of those
attractions possibly compare to the sheer joy to be had at that
wedding? Of course it can't, and that's exactly why I'm so glad I
went. Worth every single penny I borrowed to pay for the tickets.
So the Donkey is married, the Nomad is wed, the King of France has
taken a Queen, the God that is Leon is mortal after all. To you, my
friend, and of course to Laura your amazing and beautiful wife, I
raise my glass.
Slainte.
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