Julie and Pauls Wedding

Saturday morning was an early start.  Off to Christ Church and hope the hired mini-bus has survived it's stay in the car park over night.  We arrived at 7:45.  They were all there already.  They must be getting used to me.  16 of us left the car park shortly after 8am for the long drive round the M25 (south to avoid the roadworks) and down the M4.  On the journey the weather couldn't make up its mind - rain or cloud.  We had a long way to go and a reasonable amount of time to get there.  After a hiccup with the Sat-Nav we picked Karen up in Swindon. We arrived in Highworth about 11am and easily found St Michael's Church.  Parking was harder.  I found the recommended car parks but they were both too full for a 17-seater.  We soon found a place on the road.  Then it was up to the church where they were serving refreshments for the visitors.  There were people there we hadn't seen for a very long time.  Plenty of time to chat before the main event started.

2010_0821 Paul & Julie's Wedding

We had waited a long time for this wedding.  Even Howard said so in his sermon.  The wedding went very well.  The pictures afterwards were a bit chaotic, but that often happens.  There was a reception in the church hall and a not-very-strictly observed no-speeches rule.

Congratulations Paul and Julie! May you have a long and happy life together.
 
About 3:30pm we set off for home - the mini-bus being due back at it's base by 6pm.  Somewhere nearing the M25 in a hot humid mini-bus one of our number feinted.  Not knowing what was going on, and being quite worried at having an unconscious person in the bus we stopped.  We had just called the Ambulance when the Motorway Patrol arrived.  They coned off our section of the hard shoulder to protect us from the speeding traffic and put the Motorway warning signs on.  They also called the Ambulance service to get an ETA.  The police arrived and took next of kin details and tried to contact the family.  Two ambulances arrived about 2 minutes apart.  Slowly our patient was recovering.  The paramedics carried out as thorough an examination as they could and recommended that a hospital visit should occur.  I had already arrange for someone to accompany our patient if required.  The free trip to the local hospital was forcibly declined, and a window seat found for the patient. The Motorway patrol even cleared the nearside lane for us to get back on the Motorway.

The emergency services in the county are truly amazing.

The mini-bus finally returned to base about two hours late.  It was OK, I had been given the keys and instructions just in case.

They day ended with mixed emotions remembering the happy occasion but concerned for the health of a friend.  There was also quite a bit of expectation for the day to come.