Saturday August 18th: committee meeting for Six Nations Vets last night, in Cardiff. I did the last one by video-link, but it's not ideal; even with only four of them in Cardiff and one of me at Deeside, I don't really feel part of it. Anyway, it seemed like a good opportunity to go and pick up the cake from Norma, and to talk to Stevie about the wedding - I really didn't want to invite her and Roger by text or email.
Best laid plans ... I'd arranged with Stevie to meet 15-20 mins before the meeting, and left in what I thought was plenty of time, but what with heavy traffic and dismal weather, it was just on 6.00pm when I pulled into the carpark at WIS, and by the time I got up to the meeting on the first floor, they'd already started without me. Fine until the latter stages of the meeting, when dates for another meeting were being discussed, and September 7 came up; Stevie said that would be fine for her, so I had to say it would be absolutely no good for me, and no good for Stevie either (and I'd explain why to her in a minute!)
Stevie could talk for Wales (and she's not even Welsh!) so getting her to stop talking, as we walked down to the Sports Hall where she was due to coach after the meeting, for long enough to establish that she and Roger were free on September 7, was a major undertaking. However, telling her that Jules and I had decided, after all this time, to get married, achieved the desired result - there was silence for a good five seconds! She then gave me a huge bear-hug, and said she'd cancel everything in order to come. We have some really great friends.
Stayed overnight with Norma, and went round to Julia's the following morning, to pick up the cake. Norma made the cake, and Julia has done the decoration: she taught herself a while back to make sugar flowers, and she'd done yellow roses, as that's what I'll be carrying on the day. It looks stunning, and has around it the crochet cake-band that Mum made many years ago for Rita's wedding cake (I was a bridesmaid at that, and was only about seven at the time, so it must be at least fifty years). Hope I can get it home in one piece!
