Saturday 22 July, 2006

Thank You

2007-01-14T17:36:00.000+08:00

Guest Book: Pete & Pam

2007-01-14T15:28:00.000+08:00

Firstly, Sarah, what can we say? You looked absolutely beautiful and shone from the inside, as well as the star you looked.

Now to you, Damian, welcome to the mad world of the Hargreaves clan. We love you as a son and hope that there will be many happy family events in the future!

And to you, both, it was a fabulous wedding. But where was OK! and Hello! magazine? Their circulation figures would have gone through the roof!

We both wish you every happiness in the future. If you last as long as us, you won't be doing half bad!

Sorry to land ourselves on you so often and for so long. But, hey, we do love you so much and Singapore has become our favourite port of call.

As ever, all our love, Mum & Dad

Guest Book: Tania

2007-01-14T15:16:00.000+08:00

Thank you so much for inviting us to your wonderful wedding and giving us such a fantastic time.

Sarah, you lookeed absolutely stunning on both days and, D, you looked the perfect bridegroom - at least, until the booze kicked in! A couple made for each other.

As much as we have missed you at home, we can now see why you are living in Singapore.

We will be seeing you again, very soon!

Love you both loads, Tania

Guest Book: Nat

2007-01-14T14:53:00.000+08:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright. So cool that you've got hitched. Love you both - but, obviously, Sarah more, stroke Hargreaves. But not literally!

Anyway, chick, you're a kinda soulmate. And it's soooo coooooooool seeing you and hanging out with you again. I'm not pished you know!

Wishing you both everything you wish for each other.

Peace & love, Nat

ps Thanks for organising such an excellent wedding: beautiful settings, top grub, most convivial company. Or should I say wedddings - plural!

It was great to see you both, and your friends and mad family.

Sarah: You looked beautiful in both of your dresses!! And Damo: Dug the heartfelt blubbing!

Sincerely, it was the best setting ever for a ceremony of lurve.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Love, Nat

Guest Book: Fiona & Gary

2007-01-14T14:49:00.000+08:00

We think that you're both ace! Singapore would not be half as much fun without you two.

We value your friendship and look forward to creating heaps more memorable moments in the future.

All our love and best wishes for a long and very happy marriage together, Fi & the great man, Gary

Guest Book: Tania & Mark

2007-01-14T14:45:00.002+08:00

We ain't got much to say apart from, hey, you know that we both love you. And, even though we are rubbish at keeping in touch, this does not mean that we miss you any less.

Thanks for having us.

And, from now on, it is no longer 'we must go and see Damian and Sarah'; but rather 'let's go and see Damian and Sarah'. You know what we mean!

Love, Mark & Tania

Guest Book: Anon

2007-01-14T14:45:00.001+08:00

See you guys tomorrow!

Guest Book: Graham

2007-01-14T14:43:00.000+08:00

I have a huge cock... honestly, I have never seen a male chicken so big!

Anyway, I hope that you have a happy family life together. And that all those pictures never make it onto the internet!

All the best, love Graham

Guest Book: Georgie

2007-01-14T14:33:00.000+08:00

As I write this, sitting beside Holly 'Double D Norks' Rowland, I am dripping sweat over this page. Just a sweet reminder of l'il old me!

I am also writing this on behalf of Lynchie, who is out on the dance floor, pressurising girls to answer his direct line of questions! But there you go...

Boy and Girl: Congrats to you both. You're obviously meant to be. And that's clear to everyone who's ever known you.

Sarah: Look after D... and his mad drinking sprees. I have very fond memories of an alcohol-induced Damian:
- being locked out by one your guests and sleeping on the mat outside your flat;
- dropping me on my head whilst dancing;
- rowing the boat; and
- being propelled by Graham!

Shame not to spend more time with you in the past few years - but hopefully we can remedy that in the future. As I still have fond memories of Sarah at Viv's 40th, when we ended up in Top 10.... Good days.

Guys: You're a great couple. Stick at it. And am looking forward to the first sprogs!

G

Guest Book: Laura

2007-01-14T14:30:00.000+08:00

All the best for the future and apologies from the rest of the family for not being to able to make it over.

It's been a great few days. Thanks for the wonderful experience.

Love to you both and here's to a happy married life.

Your sister-in-law, Laura

Guest Book: Andrew & Esther

2007-01-14T14:28:00.000+08:00

We moved to Singapore and, without you, it would not have been what is today. You have made it special.

We love you both, Andrew & Esther

Guest Book: Annabel

2007-01-14T14:25:00.000+08:00

Thanks for a great evening. All the best, Annabel

Guest Book: Spencer H

2007-01-14T14:24:00.000+08:00

Play up, Pompey. Pompey, play up! Spencer

Guest Book: Adam & Eve

2007-01-14T14:22:00.000+08:00

Peace and love, A+E

Guest Book: Sandy

2007-01-14T14:12:00.000+08:00

Thanks so much for a very special day. Everyone made me feel so at ease and made my 'big job' of 'marrying' you two so much easier. And thanks for all your support.

That aside, as the Pennsylvanian Dutch say: 'Kissing don't last, cooking do'! So you'll have a very long, happy marriage based on Damian's cooking alone!

An finally, thanks for your warm, down-to-earth friendship. Life feels safer with you two around.

Much love, Sandy

Guest Book: Viv

2007-01-14T14:08:00.000+08:00

Today was a great day for you and all of us here in Bintan. I would really like to thank you for sharing this special day with us lucky few in this crazy world.

I wish you all the best - for the present and the future.

You are both 'quality' people and you deserve the best.

Thanks for the invite to share this wonderful moment in your lives.

Hugs, kisses & bises, Viv

Guest Book: Jayne & Kev

2007-01-14T14:02:00.000+08:00

Well, what can we say? A perfect day, well-organised, lovely weather.. everything you could imagine for the dream wedding.

Oh shit, me & Kev are never going be able to take the plunge as we would never be able to pull together what you guys did today!

You are both fab and we think the world of you both. And will think even more of you if you help us to arrange our wedding! ;-)

Seriously, though, we wish you every happiness for the future. And many more celebrations to come.

Here's to kicking you ass at golf!

Love, Jayne & Kev

Guest Book - Mark O

2007-01-14T13:50:00.001+08:00

I am so happy to be here in Singapore / Bintan to be with you on your special day. You are clearly so happy together and fit together superbly.

Sarah: I have known you since I was about 18 and have always counted you amongst my friends. So much so that whilst I write this, I am drunk - and you know that that does not happen every day!

I always think about you at Christmas and remember in days gone by meeting up on Christmas Eve... I love you! And hope that you keep on smiling as much as you did today. You really looked beautiful.

Damian looks like a completely sorted bloke and you both look eternally happy.

Damian: I now know where you live! I have enjoyed meeting you and know that you will look after my friend, Sarah, who, will in turn, look after you.

You're a lucky man, well done.

All my love and best wishes for an eternity of happiness, love Mark

Guest Book: Spencer & Emily

2007-01-14T13:46:00.000+08:00

What a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple - both inside and out.

Keep this moment for ever and stay happy for ever.

Happy marriage and good luck for the years ahead.

Love, Spencer & Emily

Guest Book: Simmone & Kristoff

2007-01-14T13:40:00.000+08:00

What's this nonsense of you guys winning the infamous Carnegies' Quiz? 'We Hate Frogs' rule!

What a brilliant day. Congratulations to you both. And hoping that the future will be just as wonderful as today was.

Sarah: You looked beautiful. Absolutely stunning. And breath-taking!

Damo: You're a very lucky man!

We will always be so grateful to you for assisting us with our wedding. Thank you so much.

Congrats, guys.

All our love, hugs, smiles and kisses, Simmone & Kristoff

Guest Book: Hugh

2007-01-14T13:36:00.000+08:00

It's been a great pleasure to be here at your wedding on this very happy
occasion.

Thank you very much for inviting us (me) and, indeed, for looking after me three years ago as I was passing through. Thanks also for introducing me to Holly!

I wish you every happiness for your future life together.

With love and best wishes to both, Hugh

Guest Book: Kim

2007-01-14T13:29:00.000+08:00

Here's to a sexy lady - a very sexy lady. Oh, and here's to a great (drunk!) man!

And here's to your future Golden Anniversary. And a lifetime of happiness together.

Love Kim

Guest Book - Clare

2007-01-14T13:16:00.000+08:00

As I said earlier, I am very honored to be here today.

Sarah: I have known you for many years now and, as you get older, you get more beautiful and stronger. You really are an amazing person.

Damian: I find you honest, solid and, I have to say, a little funny at times.

This has been a wonderful couple of days. Not only is it great celebrating with you but it's also fantastic meeting your friends from all over. It is a true testament to how wonderful you both are by how highly everyone speaks of you.

Pete & Pam: I haven't seen you guys since Sarah's 21st. And you are as great now as you were then. Warm, loving and happy to do anything Sarah (and the two cats!).

Damian: You are now part of the merry Hargreaves clan. You are very lucky man indeed!

I love you guys loads. And be sure to come and visit me in Mexico.

Your friend always, Clare xxx

Guest Book: Holly

2007-01-14T13:02:00.000+08:00

'I'm not getting involved!'

Damian and Sarah, thank you so much for inviting us to your wedding.

I can't begin to thank you for everything and I am so happy to be here today.

I can't think of a more perfect couple.

All my love, Holly

pspe (post script, post evening)

Sarah: We've come a long way since those one pound a pint nights in the Old Kings Head. I never imagined that we'd be in Bintan together 15 years later.

Damian: It's been a fantastic five years of quiz nights, bar-top dancing, temples, Coolies and, of course, Formula 1.

You are both my dearest friends. I love you very much. And I am sure that your relationship will go from strength to strength. You are both my inspiration!

Speech: Andrew's

2007-01-14T12:23:00.000+08:00

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Damian has asked me to say a few words to represent the Asian part of his life to date – which, of course, I am delighted to do.

To be honest, most of the time, Damo, makes no sense. In fact, marrying Sarah is the first sensible thing that he has done since I have known him. But he does have a big heart, so we mostly forgive him for the mindless drivel that he comes out with, which accounts for about 99% of his conversations.

Another thing about Damian, is that he has the memory of a goldfish. For instance, each Friday before our monthly game of golf with the boys, we would invariably find ourselves down at Coolies, supping a few ales. Afterwards, we would share a taxi home and I would agree to pick him up for golf the next day.

For the first 12 months, I politely sat in the cab, listening to exactly the same stories that I had heard only hours before down at Coolies! I am not the most patient of people so, these days, our conversation in the cab goes something like this:
“I went to see Jamie Callum on Thursday.”
“You told me already.”
“Oh, sorry. But, afterwards, on the way home…”
“Told me.”
“Sarah’s is having...”
“I know this.”
“And next week, we’re”
“Damian?”
“Yes?”
“Shut up!”

Another specialty that Damo has in his locker, and I am sure that most of you here will have experienced this frustrating aspect of an evening out with Damian: “Pissed Negotiation”.

Yes, for some reason, once Damian’s Drunkometer ticks over to ‘Fully Tanked’, a small wiring default in his brain makes him believe that he can become a master negotiator.

One of my favourites was on a visit to KL. After a good night out, I was trying to secure a reasonable price for a taxi back to our hotel. Just as I had settled on a great deal for everyone, up steps the master negotiator.
“What price did you get?”
“20 Ringgit”
“20 Ringgit? You’ve got to be joking. Hey boss: I’ll give you 5”
“No way, sir, it’s after midnight. You must pay more.”
“After midnight? But it’s only 4pm in London…”

Just what did he expect the poor taxi driver to do?

Now, some of you have made the trip out here today for this wonderful occasion, may have not seen Damian for a while. And you may be thinking that much of his stories centre on him being drunk for 90% of the time.

As a good mate of Damian’s, I would not want his friends and family to get the wrong idea about his drinking habits. So I am at pains to make this clear to you: Damian is not drunk 90% of the time. It’s more like 95%.

As I said earlier, Damian does have a massive heart. He’s always happy to see you – especially if you give him beer. And he is certain to be there should you need a friend to talk to.

I can honestly say that, if Holly had not introduced myself, and Esther, to Sarah and Damian, we would probably be back in England by now.

Most of the people that I now know in Singapore, Damo introduced me to. And he has never asked for anything for in return. Except for beer.

Ok, we’ve had a lot of speeches already, so I am going to keep mine short. And brilliant.

Damian and Sarah seem to spend all their time supporting other people and being genuinely pleased for nice things to happen to them. Today, is a chance for all of us to be genuinely pleased and supportive of them for a change. And to help them make an already amazing day, even better.

So if you would all like to be upstanding for the final toast. Repeat after me:
“God help Sarah!”

The Speeches

2007-01-14T12:05:00.000+08:00

Before and during dinner, a few guests got up to say a few words. Normally, most speeches are soon forgotten - but I don't think that anyone will forget Mark's speech.

He must have been up there - on sat down on the steps, there - for about an hour. His mixture of demi-truths, an over-imaginative mind and far too much time on his hands, resulted in a speech that had the rest of the wedding party convinced I was in Grange Hill, befoe going onto have a successful career as a Page 7 Fella!

[I have asked him for a copy of his speech and will post it up here posterity]

Andrew got up (which was amazing as he had supped quite a bit beforehand) and said a few nice words (ditto). A copy of his speech will appear anon.

And myself, Pete and Sarah all got up at some stage and spoke. Unfortunately, no copies of our speeches exist - as none were written. But the main message was just to thank everyone for making the day so special. That, and the free bar was only open til midnight!

Msgs: Matt, Di & Maddy

2007-01-14T12:00:00.000+08:00

Matt, Di and Maddy also took the trouble to send us a nice message, which was played at the wedding. To hear their message, click here

Msgs: Michelle

2007-01-14T11:54:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Mark, and the wonders of IT, Michelle was able to send a message that was heard (just about!) at the wedding. To download Michelle's message, click here. And to hear it, you will need to turn turn the volume up VERY LOUD!

Msgs: Magnus, Jean + Callum

2007-01-14T11:02:00.000+08:00

Magnus, Jean and Callum sent us a fantastic video - the first few minutes of which, you can find below:

We were going to show more of the video but if anyone from the Social Services gets to see, wee Callum may be taken away!

Msgs: Damon

2006-11-12T13:28:00.000+08:00

An old pal, Damon, whom I have known since schooldays, was unable to make the trip out due to the fact that his wife, Alison, is expecting their first child, sent this message:

"I have had the pleasure (and pain!) of knowing Damian for almost 30 years and am absolutely relieved delighted that he has found such a mug / special person as Sarah to share his life with. He is a lucky man, and Sarah is a lucky lassie (as we say in Scotland).

We would have loved to have shared your special day with you but with our first baby due in a few months and a new business just started launched it wasn’t practical. I did ask Alison if she could reschedule but apparently this “due date” thing can’t be moved!

All our best wishes for the future ,
The Scotts of Kilbarchan (that’s pronounced 'kil-bar-kan', Mark!)"

Msgs: Ivor

2006-11-12T13:25:00.000+08:00

My brother, Ivor, rang on the eve of the legal wedding and left the following message on our ansaphone:

"Damian + Sarah: Just wanted to wish you all the best for tomorrow. Have a great day and hope it all goes swimmingly well. Save some cake for me - I will be out later in the year to collect it!"

Telegrams

2006-11-12T13:21:00.000+08:00

Unfortunately, a number of close friends and family were unable to make the trip out to Southeast Asia to share our big day(s) with us. And quite a few of them, sent us messages (in all shapes and form) - which are probably all still in Mark's jacket! I will try to retrieve them and post them here shortly.

The Service

2006-11-12T12:49:00.000+08:00

Sandy, a good pal of ours since we have been in Singapore, was a real superstar by agreeing to be the celebrant on 22 July. And she did a fantastic job.

Here's the service that Sandy gave:

SANDY

Good afternoon. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all on this special day.

My name is Sandy. I am good friend of the couple standing here in front of me. And I have the pleasure of leading today’s ceremony.

To ensure a more personal & memorable occasion for everyone, Damian and Sarah have actually written today’s proceedings.

This is the first time that they have ever tackled anything like this and it’s also my debut as a celebrant. So we do hope that you’ll go easy on the three of us!

Above all, they want you, whatever your beliefs to feel comfortable and to enjoy today. Which is all about celebrating Damian and Sarah’s wedding.

For, as the author, George Elliot, asked many years ago : “What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labour, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories?”

Before I forget, Damian and Sarah have asked me to thank each and every one of you for taking the time and effort to be here.

Many of you have travelled great distances to be part of today. I gather that some of you have flown in from the US, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand and, of course, the UK.

So thanks to you all again. And don’t forget to claim those Air Miles!

As you’re probably all aware, Damian and Sarah fulfilled the legal requirements of their marriage on Thursday, in the Botanic Gardens, over in Singapore.

It was a lovely day. The bride wore white, the groom was nervous and the bride’s mother cried. So probably not too different from today then!

So today, Damian and Sarah wish to share with all of you, their family and friends, the happiness that is theirs.

They will dedicate themselves, in our presence, to the continued happiness and well-being of each other. There will also be the symbolic exchanging of rings.

Marriage, if it is to be fulfilling and enduring for both partners must be a co-operative venture.

It is a relationship based on love, respect and a determination on the part of both husband and wife to recognise and adjust to each other’s needs, temperaments and moods – in health or sickness, in joy or sadness, whether the going be easy or hard.

If good humour and a sense of perspective are added to these qualities, then you have the essential ingredients for a successful and fulfilling marriage.

I would now like to invite Clare up with some more words on what makes a good marriage.

CLARE

“What makes a good marriage” by Wilfred Arlon Peterson.
A good marriage must be created.
In marriage the little things are the big things...
It is never being too old to hold hands,
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day,
It is never going to sleep angry,
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives,
It is standing together and facing the world,
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family,
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways,
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget,
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow,
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful,
It is not only marrying the right person, it is being the right partner

SANDY

Marriage joins two people who trust the love that they have found.

It is a partnership in which each can be confident that the other will love them for what they are, enabling them to grow whilst respecting each other’s needs.

Both giving and receiving are fundamental to marriage and, like confidence, they work in unison.

And confidence comes from the knowledge that your partner will always be there for you.

So, with a reading on being there for one another, I’d like to invite up Tania.

TANIA

“I will be here” by Stephen Curtis Chapman
Tomorrow morning if you wake up and the sun does not appear, I will be here

If in the dark, we lose sight of love, hold my hand, and have no fear, because I will be here

I will be here, when you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind,
I will listen
And I will be here

When the laughter turns to cryin',
Through the winning, losing and trying,
We'll be together
I will be here

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up and the future is unclear, I will be here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change,
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here

SANDY

Apparently, Damian wanted to add a caveat to that last reading. That if he wasn’t there, he would be on a golf course somewhere – but Sarah soon pointed out how wrong that was!

And with some advice on what to say when you are in the wrong, or even in the right, I’d now like to invite Damian’s sister, Laura, up.

LAURA

"Advice" by Ogden Nash
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.

SANDY

Thank you for that Laura.
On the subject of keeping love brimming, as Walter Rinder once said:

“Love is not just looking at each other and saying “You’re wonderful” there are times when we are anything but wonderful. Love is looking out in the same direction, it is linking our strength to pull a common load, it is pushing together towards the far horizons, hand in hand”.

As Damian & Sarah stand here hand in hand, we come now to the central part of the ceremony, where Damian & Sarah will express their commitments to each other.

DAMIAN

Sarah, I choose you, to be my wife. To respect you in your successes and in your failures. To care for you in sickness and in health. And to grow with you, throughout the seasons of life.

SARAH

And I choose you, Damian, to be my husband. To respect you in your successes and in your failures. To care for you in sickness and in health. And to grow with you, throughout the seasons of life.

DAMIAN

And I also promise to put my dirty washing in the linen basket and not to clean my football boots or golf shoes in the kitchen sink. And, of course, to love you always.

SARAH

And I also promise to always care for you, unless the injury was self inflicted and involved alcohol, and to accept your bad habits as being part of what makes you loveable.

SANDY

And now, onto the wedding rings!

The wedding ring is a never ending circle;
A symbol of wholeness, oneness and togetherness
And in the circle of your rings
Lies a symbol of your love and strength for one another.

Your two rings look both inwards to each other and outwards to the outside world, including your family and friends gathered here today.

Mark, can I have the rings please?

MARK – GIVES RINGS TO SANDY & SARAH – PASSES BOUQUET TO HOLLY
DAMIAN

Sarah, with this ring I promise to love, honour and respect you and bring happiness and laughter into our marriage.

SARAH

Damian, with this ring I promise to love, honour and respect you and to bring happiness and laughter into our marriage.

SANDY

Damian and Sarah, I know that everyone here, and those that could not make it, will want to join me in offering you our heartfelt, best wishes.

We wish you luck in the future but, more importantly, hope that you continue to have love, friendship and trust from one another.

And may you continue to find the strength to put the effort into your relationship to keep it blooming and healthy.

Now, just before we all go off to drink, eat and be merry, Damian and Sarah would like everyone to join them in a little prayer.

You will find the words inside the envelope on your seats:

Girls only:

The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you
While combing my hair, now
And wondering what dress to wear, now
I say a little prayer for you

Everyone:
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever, forever, we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me

Boys only:

I run for the bus, dear,
While riding I think of us, dear,
I say a little prayer for you.
At work I just take time
And all through my coffee break-time,
I say a little prayer for you.

Everyone:

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever, forever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me

SANDY

Damian and Sarah, it’s been my pleasure ‘marrying’ you. Enjoy the rest of today, as I am sure that we all will, and our best wishes for the rest of your married lives!

Let the celebrations begin!

Sarah & Damian Finally Get Married

2006-11-04T16:51:00.000+08:00

If a picture paints a thousand words, then this is just a passport-sized photo of what happened on Saturday 22 July, 2006...

Bintan

2006-10-18T04:47:00.000+08:00

After the 'legal bit' and some nice eats at the Halia Restaurant, it was off to Bintan (via home to collect our bags and say goodbye to the cats) for the second leg of the 'Robinson-Hargreaves' Wedding Tour'.

There was some funny looks at the ferry terminal when the wedding party arrived - especially when the bride was still in her white dress, but with a black back-pack strapped to her back! After practising some pigeon-french on our poor, but French, photographer, Gilles, we duly arrived in Bintan and Sarah (or should that read 'my wife'?), Pete and Pam (or should that read 'the out-laws'), plus my sister, Laura, checked into our fabulous villa.Not only was it nice to stay in such a place - but it also meant that we had a place for people to drop by to during the day and the night!The place also came with a buggy that Laura was hardly out of. In fact, even when Laura was out of it, she was in the buggy!I think over the four days in Bintan, Laura must have ferried anyone who visited our place - and loads more guests following the main bash on the Saturday. And I know from my bosses, Ron and Trace (see in the photo below - though that wasn't the outfits that they wore to our wedding!), that Laura drove them back early Sunday morning, in the pitch black, and at full speed!.

Msgs: Matt, Lace and Magnus

2006-10-14T19:37:00.000+08:00

Although Matt, Lacey and Magnus could not make it over for our wedding, they did take time out to record a little homage to Damian's tattoo.

As they made thier film in one of the loudest bars on the South Bank, you may need to adjust your speakers/hearing somewhat. It's still quality, though.Cheers, guys.

Cross-Dressing

2006-10-13T14:38:00.000+08:00

There must be something about weddings that make men want to get in touch with their feminine sides.

Not only did the groom wear a dress, wig and false boobs on his stag, and shed a tear at his wedding, but another male member of the wedding party got into the (drag) act.

So guess who’s wearing Pam’s shoes? And for Pete’s sake, there will be no clues!

Sarah & Damian Legally Get Married

2006-10-13T11:38:00.001+08:00

On Thursday 20 July, Sarah and I legally tied the knot at the Old Bandstand in the Botanic Gardens.

Andrew and Esther were superstars in putting Damian up (and his pals, Mark and Tan) and getting him to the Gardens on time. And, Sarah was in the safe time-keeping hands of Pete, Pam, Laura and Holly.

The weather was lovely, the bride looked gorgeous, the groom shed a tear (due to his hay-fever, apparently) and all the guests were well-behaved (as well as well-watered and well-fed at the Halia Restaurant afterwards),

Anyway, here are few photos that give you a small taster of what happened.

Last Minute Dot Com

2006-10-13T11:03:00.000+08:00

Anyone that knows us, will soon realise that Sarah likes to get things done correctly and straight away. While I see no harm in doing something until it's actually required.

A case in point was the seating plan for the Saturday.Now I was tasked with a) coming up with a suitable theme for the table plan, b) getting them drawn up and onto cards, and c) also write a brief story/reason behind each of the table names.

I asked two pals, Henry and Elaine, from my old advertising agency to help out. And, as can see from all these images, they duly came up trumps. However, because of me leaving things to the last minute (ie the day before the Thursday ceremony!), Elaine being stuck in an all-day meeting and Mark and Tan arriving at 5pm, there was a certain level of stress/anxiety to be found in our house that day.

What made things a tad worse, was that everything had to be done by Wednesday - as we were off to Bintan straight after Thursday's ceremony!..Anyway, Elaine was a star for drawing up the table plans and then passing the image files to Henry, for him to print out and paste onto A3 boards.

Henry then kindly brought them over to me in Clementi (as I was now with Mark and Tan, plus Esther and Andrew - who were putting us all up for the night) at 10pm - just 13 and a half hours before the legal ceremony.The boards all looked great - except for three typos....If it were left to me, I would just taken the boards as they were - for most people would probably have never noticed the mistakes. But Sarah is not most people - so what to do? Well, Esther being Esther was very cool, calm and collected. She asked if there was anyone who could bring some cards over on Friday/Saturday. Thankfully, Nicole was arriving in Bintan on the Saturday morning.So Elaine amended the files on the Thurday and passed them to Henry. He then printed them out and pasted them onto A3 boards, and then went even further out of his way to pass the boards to Nicole on the Friday..
Nicole brought the cards over with her on the Saturday and they were passed to us about 2pm on Saturday. Just three hours before they were needed - which was in plenty of time don’t you think?

PS

2006-10-13T11:02:00.000+08:00

Two days before our wedding, a gaggle of us went out to dinner to the PS Café (near Dempsey Road).

Pete and Pam led the way (and kindly paid for the entire meal too, btw), with my kid sister, Laura, not far behind. Also in attendance were Mark and Kim (who flew in from the UK that weekend) and Nat (who only arrived from Lan-dan that morning). And Sarah and I, of course.The food was good – but, boy, the service at PS sucks. And the sad thing is that they just don’t give a damn as the place is that busy.

A quick look at their website will show you what PS think of their customers. Nothing.

The place should be re-named BS!

Hen Do - Singapore Leg

2006-10-08T17:00:00.000+08:00

A week before the Big Day, and on the same night that Damian and Pete were being 'looked after' by Andrew, Charlie and a cast of fives down at the Beer Cellar, Sarah had her second hen do. She was in the safe hands of Esther and Nicole.

From the pix, it certainly looks as if the gals had a great time! And Sarah still has the t-shirt to prove it!

As well as being a superstar hen do co-organiser, Nicole found the time to pen a few words as to how Sarah's night went:

Sarah’s Singapore Hen’s night kicked off in style on Saturday 15th July, 2006. The girls – Nicole, Esther, Jayne, Viv, Evelyn, Georgie & Simmone – arrived at the hen roost – the private room about Dharma’s café at Boat quay – at 7pm to prepare for the entrance of Pam and the hen at 7:30pm.

Preparations including everyone donning a specially-made Hen’s Night t-shirt downing a glass or two of wine and standing ‘quietly’ in the dark in ‘surprise’ position. True to Hargreaves’ form, Sarah & Pam snuck up on us instead, so with champagne in hand, and the hen decked out in her own special t-shirt, the night got underway.

Knowing Sarah’s penchant for a boogie, a fully costumed belly dancer entertained us just as the shots started to kick in, or should we say that Sarah entertained us with her very own belly-dancing style – whilst the professional dancer was relegated to back of stage position.After that burst of energy, it was time to play ‘pin the penis on the man’ (there has to be at least one game like this at a hen’s night!) The poster of Brad Pitt as the ‘man’ was snubbed as we realized we had a much better pin-up – Damian – on posters on our walls. Various sized and coloured penis’s were strategically placed on (or near!) Damian’s body by blindfolded party goers and of course the hen. The game reached a climax (?) when the last penis was placed on Damian’s face!Enough private frivolity, the party then went public at the New Asia Bar. All hen-goers and especially the hen herself embraced the face that the games were now no longer contained to the smaller private group. Photos and signatures on dare cards (reading, for example “Ask someone at the bar with a fresh pint if you can lick the head off their beer as it’s your birthday”) bear witness to this exhibitionism! No one knows for sure what time the party ended or why Sarah woke up (almost) fully clothed but we do know that we had a great time, as we looked forward to doing the same at the wedding the following weekend.

Stag Do

2006-10-08T16:15:00.000+08:00

When it came to my Stag Do, I said to Andrew (Best Man - Singapore Leg) that I didn't want any fuss and a quiet drink with the lads would suffice.

There was no need for any foreign trips or elaborate plans - especially as the majority of the lads (including Andrew and I) were all off to Hua Hin in Thailand for a long golfing weekend at the end of October.

Anyway, Andrew was good to his word (ish!). After a hearty lunch/brekky at Boat Quay, he picked Pete and I up around 3:40 pm for a quiet beer at the Beer Cellar.

With the father-in-law-to be there, I felt relaxed knowing that they could not too much to me.

Wrong!

As you will see soon enough, they had me in a very unflattering dress, red wig and false boobs by 5pm. And, I can honestly say, that I looked like the worst cross-dresser in history. Think Pete Burns, with:
* a 2-week old goatee
* a week's worth of stubble
* an ill-fitting wig
* hairy legs
* and the sort of dress worn by one of Les Dawson (RIP) 's characters!

[I will post a suitable picture up soon - but it should only be viewed after the watershed.]

Anyway, the rest of the night was a bit of blur - actually I am unable to divulge what happened, where we went, who was up on stage dancing with go-go/lap dancers. But I can say that Pete (and I) did very well to last until 4 in the morning!

Though according to the Beer Cellar's in-public-house- poet laureate, Andrew, the evening went something like this:
Damian said:
"For my stag do I would like a quiet beer,
I do not want to feel fear.”

Of course, he is the boss and his will must be done,
But his friends, they wanted more fun.

“We should send him abroad” they all said,
I thought, “if Sarah finds out, I am dead”.

To his friends a compromise I needed to impress,
And we settled on a bright orange wig and a dress.

To the BeerCellar we all made our way,
And for the kitty 50 dollars we would pay.

Damian started at pace, got off his face,
And, Jesus, in that dress, he looked gay.

As darkness descended on the equator,
The Best Man (Singapore leg) turned traitor.

Damo said: “you promised me a sober affair”
“and these promises turned out to be poor”

I said, “what d’ya mean, why’d you say that?”
He said “I just lap-danced for my father-in-law!”

Jaffy and Halia

2006-10-08T15:30:00.000+08:00

Although, they were unable to attend the wedding, both Jaffy and Halia, helped in as much as two pesky cats could in the run up to the wedding.

Jaffy was especially helpful in ensuring that Sarah's tops were ironed. [The tops were also covered in cat hair, but they were ironed nonetheless].And Halia was great on checking that all the mirrors worked okay!

Hen Night - London Leg

2006-10-08T15:11:00.000+08:00

One of Sarah's good pals, Holly, was kind enough to share with us all her account of Sarah's Hen Night (London Leg), back in July:

Sarah’s London hen do was a fairly laid back affair and was actually more of an opportunity for Sarah to catch up with lots of good friends in one day. Luckily, Sarah brought plenty of sun back from Singapore – activities are so much easier to plan when the sun is shining!

The day started at a festival on the South Bank next to Gabriel’s Wharf and the Oxo Tower with Sarah, Pam (hobbling from the latest Hargreaves’ shopping trip), Rachel, Nila, Kimberley, Tan, Michelle, Lisa and Holly. We spent several hours eating, drinking and chatting amongst kids in face paint and a man dressed as a giant cockroach.

We then moved on to Vinopolis for a wine tour (unfortunately having said goodbye to Lisa and Tan) where we drank our way around the world whilst pretending it was educational.We learnt that Macedonian wine tastes like crap – so it was a bit educational. And Pam managed to score us lots of extra drinks along the way and we finished the tour drinking gin cocktails, having wisely avoided the absinthe-tasting bar (where it would have all have ended in tears!).

We had a couple of substitutions at this point – losing Pam, Michelle and Kimberly but gaining Cassandra. As the vegetarian to carnivore ratio had suddenly shifted we headed to Mildred’s, a veggie restaurant in Soho where we attempted to soak up the wine whilst topping it up with champagne.
At this point the night sped up and before we knew it, it was closing time and we were being kicked out of a bar somewhere in Soho!

A good night was had by all and we even managed to get Sarah back in one piece!

A summary of what happened...

2006-10-04T06:33:00.000+08:00

While I get around to sticking some pix/stories up from the wedding (not to mention the hen/stag nights!), here's a pictorial overview of those four days in July:

Why you should always get married in a church...

2006-10-04T06:25:00.000+08:00

Look closely at this picture and you'll soon see why!

There's more to come, folks!

2006-08-29T17:29:00.000+08:00

Apologies - but after getting back from S.Africa (which was awesome, by the way), we've had enough to do just getting the house (and the cats!) back to normal after our flurry of visitors. Plus there's the small matter of work.

However, normal blog service will be resumed. And Damian will have the fun tasks of adding:
- write-ups from the Guest book
- pix from the wedding and honeymoon
- write-ups from the wedding and honeymoon
- and other bits and pieces.

So watch this space!

A good year to get married?

2006-08-02T09:46:00.000+08:00

The Economist certainly thinks so as this excerpt shows:

The wedding fever owes much to a widespread belief that 2006 is a lucky year. In Chinese culture, the number six indicates that things will go smoothly. This year is also the Year of the Dog (in Chinese the word for a dog’s bark sounds like the word for prosperity). Even more importantly, the lunar calendar means 2006 will be longer than usual and contain two springs, a rare phenomenon said to bring luck. Last year couples avoided getting married because it was a “widow’s year”, with no lunar spring at all.

Phew!

2006-07-27T11:00:00.000+08:00

My wife and I are just getting our breath (and tears) back after a fantastic long weekend.

So you’ll have to wait a day or so for some wedding pix and write-ups to appear here.

In the meanwhile, thanks to everyone who made the day(s) ever so special. You’re all superstars!

D+Sxx

Sunday 23 July, 2006 - 9:30 am

2006-07-19T15:14:00.000+08:00

And for those up for brekky the morning after, the night before, then we are all meeting up at Mayang Sari - where, I gather the bulk of everyone is staying anyway.

The plan is to meet up by 9:30 and try to piece together exactly what happened the day and night before!

Mine's a large bloody mary, by the way!

Friday 21 July, 2006 - 8pm

2006-07-19T15:10:00.000+08:00

For those of you who will be in Bintan on Friday evening, we will grabbing a bite to eat and perhaps a quiet drink at Mana Mana - which is next door to Nirwana Gardens. [If lost, ask any staff member and they will be able to point you in the right direction]

We will in there by about 8pm and will be there a few hours.

Hope to catch you there!

I saw this ...

2006-07-14T18:56:00.000+08:00

While checking my hotmail, I came across this link, Wedding Guests's Gripes, and thought of you (as in our Guests on Saturday) for some strange reason!

The 'Players'

2006-07-08T14:30:00.000+08:00

At a wedding, most of the eyes on the bride. And, occasionally, the groom might get a look in too. But without other people doing some key jobs, the whole day would never get off the ground.

Here are a few of those key players, who will be helping to make the 22nd go as smooth as possible.

First up is Sandy – who is going to be our Celebrant (that’s the person who does most of the speaking at the wedding ceremony!)We’ve known Sandy practically the whole time that we’ve been in Singapore as Damian helped to build Sandy’s website, LotusMoonCollection. Sandy’s lovely and we are as pleased as punch that she said ‘yes’ to being our celebrant!

Next up is Andrew – who is going to be the Emcee and Best Man - Singapore Leg (that’s the person who introduces the speakers at dinner, and also gets to say a few words himself) We’ve known Andrew (and his smashing wife, Esther) about three years – when they first arrived in Singapore. Andrew, who’s a mad Chelsea fan, has also kindly volunteered to organize Damian’s stag party next weekend!

And then we have Mark (or, as throwback to the good ol’ school days, also known by his surname, Thomas) – who is going to be Best Man - London Leg (that’s the person who’s supposed to come up with the wittiest speech, with lines that are not too rude, nor too plain, and a speech that can make your gran laugh/cry, as well as have your muckers rolling with laughter in the aisle. So there’s no pressure there, then!) Damian’s known Mark since they were at (Spencer Park) school together and Damian was best man at Mark and Tanya’s wedding in Las Vegas, some 6 years ago.

Nicole (and Sam) has volunteered to collect any red packets that people may want to drop off (and has promised not to open the envelopes and count the money in front of you!Nicole and Sam, together with hubby/dad, Mark, and the two cats live in the same neighbourhood as us and have been close friends for a couple of years now. They’re Australian – but we don’t hold that against them!

The Wedding List?

2006-07-07T16:21:00.000+08:00

One of our Australian guests has asked: “We’ve emailed our RSVP... booked the ferry and room in Bintan... brought posh new outfits. So where the bloody hell's the wedding list?”

Well, that's a fair dinkum of a question, Cobber. And to be perfectly honest, we have decided against having one.

The main reason was that we felt everyone’s already making a huge effort just by attending. [Sounds like a cliché, we know - but it's true as you will have all literally travelled overseas to get to Bintan!]

There were other factors. Like there isn’t a John Lewis in Singapore, the Beer Cellar don’t do wedding lists (not yet, anyways) and it would require more work...for Sarah!

However, for those of you who insist on getting us something, then a ‘red packet’ is the easiest way forward. And young Nicole (and her even younger son, Sam) will be on hand on the day (Sat 22nd, in case you’ve forgotten) to collect your red packets. [In case you don't who Nicole or Sam are, you can see a photo of them in the entry called ‘Players’].

Those of you wondering what we will do with any money received, well we are hoping to get a couple of nice watches as keepsakes for the big day.

Of course, if someone really wants to give us a present of their own choosing, then that would be cool too.

However, all we really want is for family and friends to enjoy themselves. And for the day to be as hassle-free for everyone.

SE Asia's Answer to Arthur Daley

2006-07-06T00:00:00.000+08:00

Although his birth certificate states his name as Spencer Hogg, this chap should have been christened Arthur Daley! For he can sell mushy peas to a team of husky dogs, traps to a Belgian monastry and kebabs out of the back of a police van!So when you see him at our bash, please watch out for what Spence/Arthur may be trying to flog. Otherwise, you, too, could have a dodgy, gold suit straight off the back of a lorry - as modelled by young(ish) Spence/Arthur, himself, in the above photo!

ps Rumour has it that Spence is bringing 'er indoors (aka Annabel) to our bash too.

Be afraid. Be very afraid

2006-07-05T23:53:00.000+08:00

A certain Brian Doyle could be winging his way to Bintan.Known to go under the nom de biere as 'Doylah', this man can party, drink and talk like it was 1999.

However, due to Doylah's severe lack of dress sense (as you can see from the photo above) and even sadder tastes when it comes to football (he is a Man U fan), he can be easily spotted and avoided. Unless, of course, you want to have a whale of a time!

Monday's Joke

2006-07-03T18:13:00.000+08:00

This ‘joke de la jour’ is taken a forum on ExpatSingapore– where one can find questions/answers on the real important things that one should know when living in Singapore (e.g. where your maid goes to on a Sunday, why you can never get a taxi in the rush hour and where to find the best laksa/pepper crab/chicken rice in Singapore):

Q: I'm interested in buying a modest apartment in Singapore to avoid wasting money on rent. Can anyone advise what sort of money I could expect to pay?
A. I would expect you would pay in Singapore dollars.

Quality response! It’s up there with:

Q: I'm interested in learning to play the Spanish Guitar. Can anyone advise where I can get lessons?
A. Spain?

And if you thought that these were bad, at least they were real and a lot cleaner than the ones submitted by a certain Pamela Hargeaves! [Her last one involved two daddy longlegs and a punch line of ‘not having that Brokeback Mountain **** in my garden!']

But what if it rains?

2006-06-27T11:11:00.000+08:00

Anyone who’s ever been out to these parts, will know that when it rains, it rains. And the heavens can open at any time – regardless of how sunny the sun is.

So just in case, contingency plans have been sorted.

If it rains on Thursday 20th, then we’ll hold the wedding at the Halia Restaurant (in the Ginger Garden, Botanic Gardens). But everyone should head to the Bandstand, unless they hear otherwise.

If it rains on Saturday 22nd, then we’ll all pile into the restaurant and grab a drink or two until the rain goes away.

So if it’s wet on the outside, head to the restaurant – where you can get wet on the inside!

Charlie & Kat

2006-06-17T14:43:00.000+08:00

Our friendly publican, Charlie, and his lovely missus, Kat, have RSVP'd to say that they'll be there on the big day.[Actually, it was Kat who replied as if it was left to blokes to do things like that, nothing would ever get done!]Charlie owns the Beer Cellar (formerly known as Coolies), where Damian has been known to spend the odd hour sampling Charlie's superb collection of fine wines and food. But most of the time, Damian will be at the Beer Cellar having a beer with the boys after/during/before a game of golf/footy/darts/shove-a-penny!

So what is ‘Sunday best’?

2006-06-15T12:34:00.000+08:00

In olden days, when we were all god-fearing folk, ‘Sunday best’ was a smart outfit that you would wear to church on a Sunday.

Today, if you google the term ‘Sunday best’, you will probably end up with a host of websites offering christening outfits, like this one.

So how does this help you, when it comes to deciding what to wear on the 20th or the 22nd?

Well, it probably doesn’t. For anyone turning up in a vicar’s outfit or a christening robe will probably be turned away. [Unless, of course, you are a vicar or a child!]

As far as we are concerned, Sunday best would be something like:
* For the boys – trousers and a shirt. [No need for full blown suit/tie, unless you want to]
* For the gals – nice dress / frock.

At the end of the day, we want people to enjoy themselves – without feeling too formally dressed. Plus we want people to look nice in the photos.

Besides, you can always wear your Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts, bikini tops, flip-flops or thongs for the rest of the weekend!

Hope that helps.

Is tat U2? Boy, tat's bad....

2006-06-10T12:48:00.000+08:00

Those of you that know me well (and even those of you who have only ever met me the once), will know that I've got this quality tattoo on my arm:To say that Sarah has never liked it is a bit of an understatement. The words 'naff', 'how pished were you again?' and 'please don't apply sunscreen to that area - you never know, it might just go away' all spring to mind.

So, with the wedding coming up, I was wondering what I should do with it?

And seeing as we've let you vote on my outfit (that sailor's outfit is in the lead, by the way) and the date of our anniversary (the 20th won it by a small landslide), I thought I'd ask for your opinion on the matter. So should I:

Suits you, sir!

2006-06-10T12:22:00.000+08:00

In case you don't recognise him with his clothes on, we thought it only fair to show you what Mark Oakes looks like when he is all suited and booted.Mark's the (natural) body-building champ, who kick-started the photos on this blog way back in March. And here he is, with his Birmingham University buddy, Sarah.

The Beautiful Game

2006-06-09T09:54:00.000+08:00

Seeing as the World Cup kicks off today, the 'Joke de la jour sub-committee' allowed these two through:

Wayne Rooney has been told he can play in the World Cup if he gets a Cortisone Injection. On hearing this, David Beckham responded, "If fatso is having a new car, then so am I!"

And there’s more...

David Beckham was asked by Sven to do a team talk on tactics. He told the team that they are great because they keep his breathe fresh and Victoria loves them because they are only one calorie!

Keep em coming, please

Friday's Joke

2006-06-08T15:24:00.000+08:00

After deciding that life would be more fun if I had a pet, I went to the pet shop and told the owner that I wanted to buy something unusual.

After some discussion and persuasion, I finally bought a centipede - which came in a little white box to use for his house.
I took the box back home, found a good location for it.

I decided that I would start off by taking my new pet to the pub to have a drink. So I asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go to the Beer Cellar with me for a drink?"

But there was no answer.

This bothered me a bit, but I waited a few minutes and then asked him again, "How about popping out for a quiet pint?" But again, there was no answer from my new pal.

So, I waited a few minutes more. Thinking about the situatio, I decided to ask him one more time. this time putting my face up against the centipede's house and shouting, "Hey, in there! Do you fancy a cheeky Stella?”

And then a little voice came out of the box, “I heard you the first time - I'm just putting my f***ing shoes on!"

Hua Zhou?

2006-05-31T12:56:00.000+08:00

I don’t know how or when we’ll manage it, but it would be great to get all those coming to Singapore along to a pre- (or post?) wedding dinner at Huay Zhou: a nice little restaurant, about 10 mins away from where we live, where the food and staff are both great. Plus we can have a photo like the one above, which was taken when Pete and Pam were last over.

Les Roast Beefs & Yorkshire Puddings

2006-05-31T12:49:00.000+08:00

Sadly, Rachey-Rache, or Rachel to her parents back in Leeds, will not be able to get away from gay Paris in July. Instead, she will be embarking on married live herself, with her beau, Julian, and her belle, Astrid – who, by all accounts, is a little star!

Girls will be girls

2006-05-31T12:36:00.000+08:00

When Sarah’s not at work (chained to the phone and to the PC), nor at home (chained to the sofa by two ferocious felines, Jaffy & Halia), she can usually be found in the company of one of these lovely ladies Holly*, Claire, Esther & Viviane all share Sarah’s passion for champagne, Heat/Now magazine and gaining control of the TV Remote Control!
*Holly is now back in the UK and is planning some fun and games for Sarah a week on Saturday, when they hook up in London.

Boys will be boys

2006-05-31T12:27:00.000+08:00

When Damian’s not at work (chained to a Mac, tapping away on a keyboard), nor at home (chained either to a PC, tapping away on a keyboard, or to the kitchen, chopping away on a board), he can usually be found in the company of these fine, upstanding gentlemen: Andrew, Geoff and Ads all share Damian’s passion for the arts – or is it beer and darts? Anyway if not at Coolies (now known as the Beer Cellar), this lot can usually be found on a golf course or on a footy pitch!

Would you Adam'n'Eve it?

2006-05-31T12:11:00.000+08:00

Adam and Evelyn are joining us in Bintan. And will be bringing their first born, Isabelle. (In the photo below, Evelyn is on the left, Isabelle's in the centre and Evelyn's sister, Clara, is on the right)And another couple that could be bringing their first child over, are Mark and Nicole. Though how Mark will get through the weekend without his true love, his bike, is anyone’s guess!

Sin, Sin, Sin..gapore!

2006-05-31T12:01:00.000+08:00

After years of refusing any applications to build a casino, the Govt. announced last week that they were going to allow one to be built here, Though as the term ‘casino’ may be seen as a ‘U-turn’ by the Govt., it will be called an ‘Integrated Resort’. For any would-be punter attending our wedding (eg Mark ‘Get on Sweden to win the Eurovision Song Contest’ Thomas), you may have to wait a while before you can place your first bet. As the casino, sorry Integrated Resort, is not expected to open until 2009!

Robin Star Apartments

2006-05-26T16:31:00.000+08:00

Holly, who came out to Singapore around the same time as us but returned to London two years ago, will be hooking up again with her old roomies, Georgie and Graham.

All three of them (seen in the photo below, looking remarkably sober for a change) used to live in Robin Star Apartments, off Bukit Timah Rd, where many a mad party took place.
Holly was a fellow founding member of the infamous ‘No-Hopers’ quiz team, who won many a Carnegies’ quiz and a host of prizes, ranging from the good (flights to Koh Samui), the bad ( a tray full of dodgy cocktails/shooters) to the ugly (awful t-shirts, jerseys etc).

Before she left these shores, Holly hooked up with Hugh – a good pal of Sarah’s from London. Hugh was travelling around SE Asia, after taking a year off work, and paid us a visit for a week. And that’s when he met Holly!
Hugh and Holly hit off it big time and within four days they were hosting a party in Leedon II. [Not that either of them lived there but that’s another story].

Anyway, Hugh had to leave Holly the next am to continue his trek around the region and travelled up to KL – while Holly nursed her hangover at ours with copies of Heat/Now, eats and DVDs.

But fate then played its hand – as no sooner had Hugh got off the train in KL, then when he noticed that his wallet had been stolen. [Funny how Hugh had been all the way across S America and even up to base camp of Everest without losing a thing. Yet a few hours after leaving Singapore/Holly, his wallet goes walkies....]

So the hapless Hugh ditched the idea of touring Malaysia and returned to sunny Singapore and young Holly. And now they are living together in 'sin' - or some place near Shepherd's Bush.

Thus Sarah and I were somewhat instrumental in Holly and Hugh getting together – so much so, that I am responsible for ‘their song’ being that great track by Daniel ‘I’ve got a sister who can sing too’ Beddingfield, ‘If you’re not the one’.

Which reminds me, I must ask the DJ if they can play that on the 22nd....

Get well soon

2006-05-26T14:44:00.000+08:00

There must be something in the water in Church Lane, as both Uncle Wally and Pam are a tad under the weather at the moment.

And best wishes also go to Jean Kennedy, who’s having to take it easy in the early stages of her second pregnancy.

Here’s wishing you all a speedy recovery.

Regrets? I've had a few...

2006-05-26T14:31:00.000+08:00

Unfortunately, Damon and Alison Scott are unable to make it over. They were going to pop over, when something else popped up. Click here to see what their ‘little’ problem is.

And, sadly, Dev and Karen are also unable to make the trip due to their little ‘uns.

Two zero and not two two? That is the question!

2006-05-25T17:01:00.000+08:00

As you probably know, Sarah and I are having two bashes: the legal ‘I do‘ on Thurs 20th and then the main ‘I do’ on Saturday 22nd. So it kinda begs the question: Funnily enough, Sarah and I disagree as to what date it should be!

The lengths some people will go to....

2006-05-23T22:18:00.000+08:00

Even though we're still waiting for a number of RSVPs to wing their way into our electronic mail bag, we think that we may have our most distant 'yes'.

Clare Brown, a Scottish lass currently residing near Mexico City, will be coming to the bash! And according to our stats, it's some 16,633km (or 10,331 miles in old money) from Mexico City to Singapore!

So either Clare thinks that we have a free bar going on or she really needs to top up her air miles! [Though Sarah thinks that maybe it because she really wants to be here on 22 July]. Whatever the reason, way to go, Clare!

As it's been a while since we last saw her (probably back at the start of the Millennium, at Magnus and Jean's NYE's bash), Clare has kindly sent in the above photo to help remind us of what she looks like. Though as Magnus&Jean's bash was quite a drunken affair, I am not sure if she is the one on the left or the right!

Here's to you Mrs...?

2006-05-12T00:56:00.000+08:00

Believe it or not, even though we are getting married on 22 July, Sarah is still undecided as to what her married name will be!

After hearing that my brother, Ivor, was coming over, she said that if the Robinson's outnumbered the Hargreaves, then she would change hers. So at the moment, the score is 2-3 to the Hargreaves. But with Joseph Robinson and Darren Robinson hoping to make the trip, we could see young Sarah having to change her name.

In the meantime, though, why don't you vote and let us know what you think Sarah should do:

Ivor...least one brother coming

2006-05-11T14:44:00.000+08:00

My brother, Ivor, has confirmed that he will be over in July. And may be bringing his daughter,Heaven. Ivor was over here last August and got to try his hand at golf for the first time. He was such a natural, that, thanks to Sarah and her connections/contacts, he managed to swing (pun intended) a wild card entry into the Singapore Open. And here's the proof: The only thing was, as you will see from the photo above, he forgot to bring over any clubs! But he wasn’t the only one: Rumour has it that my other two kid brothers, Joseph and Darren, may be able to get over too. Watch this space for further news!

What are the chances, eh?

2006-05-11T10:11:00.000+08:00

While sipping my coffee this am and browsing the net, I accidently found this site.

Even though there are thousands of marriages taking place each and every Saturday across this tiny globe of our, how many of them have a website? And how many sites are there with '22July2006' in the title?

Anyway, be sure to RSVP to, and, more importantly, turn up at the right one!

Wednesday's Joke

2006-05-04T14:41:00.000+08:00

Submitted by a certain Pamela Hargreaves..

Sven-Goran Eriksson is on 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' and has reached the £1 million question. Chris Tarrant says, "Right Sven, this is for £1 million, and remember, you still have two lifelines left, so please take your time.

"Here's your question: What type of animal lives in a Set? Is it. a, a badger b, a ferret c, a mole or d, a cuckoo?"

Sven ponders for a while and says, "No, I'm sorry Chris, I'm not too sure. I'll have to go 50-50."

"Right, Sven, let's take away two wrong answers and see what you're left with. 'Badger' and 'Cuckoo' are the two remaining answers."

Sven has a long think, then scratches his head and says, "No, Chris, I'm still not sure, I'm going to have to phone a friend."

So who are you going to call, Sven?" says Chris.

"Hmmm, I think I'll call David Beckham."

So Tarrant phones David Beckham.

"David, this is Chris Tarrant from 'Who wants to be a Millionaire'. I've got Sven-Goran Eriksson here, and with your help he could win £1 million. The next voice you hear will be Sven's."

"Hello David" says Sven. "It's the boss here. What type of animal lives in a set? Is it a badger or a cuckoo?"

"It's a badger, boss." says Becks without hesitation.

"You sure, son?" says Sven.

"Definitely, boss. One hundred percent. It's a badger. Definitely."

"Right, Chris," says Sven, "I'll go with David. The answer's a badger.

"Final answer, Sven?"

"Final answer, Chris."

"That's the correct answer. You've won £1 million!" Cue wild celebrations.

Next morning at training, Sven calls Beckham across.

"Son, that was brilliant last night. I thought I might be taking a gamble giving you a call, but you played a blinder! But how the heck did you know that a badger lives in a set?"

"Oh I didn't, boss..." replies Beckham, "... But everybody knows a cuckoo lives in a clock!"

My Dad & Trish

2006-05-04T13:31:00.000+08:00

Unfortunately, my dad and Trish will be unable to make it over the 22nd of July A combination of work and distance has meant that we will just have to celebrate with them later on in the year.

Natasha

2006-05-01T18:41:00.000+08:00

Sarah's mate, Nat, has confirmed her flight (and hotel!)
And what's more, she's having a break from her twin daughters Nell & Alia - and her fella, John - to have a well-earned rest/holiday out here!

Nat used to work with Sarah at SMI (an old ad agency that has long disappeared into the Publicis empire), along with a certain Hugh Gage (more on him later). Nat's other claim to fame is that she was there when Sarah and I met all those years ago...

It's lovely here..

2006-05-01T18:35:00.000+08:00

If you don't believe us, just ask Pete and Pam, who, as you can see from the photo above, are busy sunning themselves in Bintan.

Vivianne et Simon

2006-05-01T18:17:00.000+08:00

Vivianne [Argentine, fluent in 4 languages (French, Spanish, English + Singlish) and a good, generous sport too] and Simon [Australian, fluent in 1 language (Ostralian) and not a bad tennis player either] are coming along too!
Simon will probably win any golf tournament over the wedding weekend, while Vivianne will probably win the golf cart race.

Mark and Tan? Can!

2006-05-01T17:49:00.000+08:00

Good news: Mark and Tan are deffo coming over.
After badgering them for years to forego Europe as a holiday destination and come to SE Asia instead, we finally have to go thru' all the fun, games and rows that are traditionally associated with organising a wedding, just to see them out here. It will all be worth it, I'm sure.

For the record, Mark and I used to go to (Spencer Park) school together back in the days when:

Dexy's Midnight Runners were urging on a certain Eileen;

bad clothes/hair/make-up and school discos were the norm;and when

Jamie Oliver happily yummed up his school dinners and probably had seconds too.

And we were at their wedding in Las Vegas in March 2001 - when Elvis Presley pronounced them 'Husband and Wife'!

Gazza and Fi-Fi

2006-05-01T17:30:00.000+08:00

We are chuffed that Gary and Fiona (a couple of aussies) are coming to our wedding.
[Apologies for the photo, guys. Will replace it when I find a better one - or you send us one. Honest].

They live just down the (Holland) road from us and we often hook up in Holland Village for a cheeky few happy hour drinks at Tangs. And we supped a fair few bottles of vino with them when we all went to Margaret River in Western Australia last October.

Gary and Fiona are getting married themselves in Melbourne at the New Year - so we're hoping to gate-crash that bash and also catch some of the Ashes tour down under!

Word of warning: do not attempt to play any cards with these two. Just 'one quick game' has been known to last 12 hours - with some 9 bottles of vino, 3 pizzas, 2 meat pies, a tub of ice-cream and a squirt of ice-magic (optional) thrown in for good measure. And that was on a school night too!

About that sailor's outfit...

2006-05-01T17:26:00.000+08:00

I know that the poll below may have the sailor's outfit as everyone's preferred option, but do you really see me wearing one? Really? Oh well - better start looking in some fancy dress shops then...

Suited and Booted?

2006-04-13T15:44:00.000+08:00

What should Damian wear on 22 July?
A blue sailor suit, with a white hat
Shorts and a hawiian shirt
A 2-piece suit
Something ethnic
His birthday suit
Black tie
Sunday best
Not bothered either way

Current results

Laura

2006-04-10T23:50:00.000+08:00

Fingers crossed, my sister Laura, should be able to make the wedding. Here she is with my dad - when she was a wee, young thing:

It will be great for Laura to finally see where we live and nice for us to catch up. As living overseas, means that we only get to see her once a year at most.

The last time Matt was in Singapore....

2006-04-05T16:50:00.000+08:00

His team, West Ham United, got relegated from the Premiership and the poor chap was somewhat overcome with emotion (or was it the booze?) and ended up close to tears!

Here he is at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal – where you can catch a ferry to go to such places as Bintan, which is always useful to know... So, with his beloved Hammers one game away from the twin towers of Cardiff (doesn’t seem to have the same magic ring as ‘Wembley’ does it? But at least they have a national stadium, that was built on time and only a few quid over budget), young Matt doesn’t want to jinx things again by agreeing to come out in July.

Though, if the truth were to be told, the real reason lies with the fact that Matt’s daughter, Maddy, is only a little 'un and Di has school (which, as Di is a teacher by profession, means work). But I still prefer my version.

Anyway, here’s Matt and Di, somewhere in London. ps Good luck, Matt, with West Ham in the semi-final of the Cup. But if you get through, your team’s going to lose to either Sarah’s (Chelski) or my team (Liver-5*s-pool) anyway!

RSVP

2006-04-03T22:45:00.000+08:00

Please RSVP, via email to: 22July2006@gmail.com.

I know it may seem ages away, but an early indication as to whether you can make it would be really appreciated. As there are tables and chairs to sort, eats and drinks to get in, not to mention folding all those napkins. And don't get me started on the seating arrangement and table plans!

Dietary/Liquid Requirements
If you are a fussy eater / drinker (e.g a veggo or do not like Thai / spicy / foreign food - yes there are some out there!), please shout so that we can get some Pot Noodles in for you.

Gifts
It's your presence we want.. not your presents!
Also due to the fact that we currently live overseas, it kind of makes things a little tricky when it comes to gifts - for both you (ie lugging the items over) and us (for eventually bringing them back with us!).

If you do wish to provide a gift, we ask that you consider the 'Hong Bao'(aka 'Red Packet') as an option. This is a traditional Chinese custom: the colour red represents prosperity and the monetary gift is intended to bring newlyweds good fortune and a happy future!

Other
We may ask certain individuals to help by bringing over some duty-free champers to get the bash on the 22nd off to a bubbly start.

Watch this space for more details closer to the Big Day!

Damian & Sarah's Itinerary

2006-04-03T22:37:00.000+08:00

We are actually having two weddings: a) the legal bit here in Singapore and b) the big bash in Bintan on Saturday 22 July.

For the Thursday, the 20th, we get hitched in the Botanic Gardens, followed by a spot of lunch with those brave souls who've made it out from Europe and then we (all?) hop on a ferry to Bintan in the afternoon (5pm ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, out by the Airport).

We will therefore be in Bintan from the Thursday evening until the Monday morning (with the main bash being on Saturday 22nd July). And will probably take the Weds off work as well (19th July).

We are not going on honeymoon until the 4th of August.

Damian is currently in negotiations about when he will be playing golf. He is keen to play both Fri 21st and Sat 22nd. Sarah has other ideas! However, if you are keen on joining him for a round [or two!;-}], please let us know.

We are hoping we can all have breakfast together on Sun 23rd Jul, probably at Mayang Sari. [Though when we say 'breakfast', we mean that as a state of mind, rather than a specific time. And Damian is already envisaging ordering a Bloody Mary with his scrambled eggs, with marmite on toast!]

We are planning to return to Singapore on Monday 24th July in the afternoon.

Around SE Asia

2006-04-03T22:15:00.000+08:00

Here are some rough travel thoughts / suggestions on where else you could visit - just to give you a flavour of the place. Plus it does make it cheaper if you stop off en route to Singapore.

Thailand

Strictly speaking it is the rainy season in the summer months in Thailand, however we have been to BKK in August and Krabi in Oct and we saw no rain what so ever, similarly we went to Koh Samui in Feb (the ‘dry’ season) and it rained every day – but even then it was only for an hour or two at most.

To quote: "While the typical rainy season pattern is of sunny days punctuated by short, heavy afternoon showers, you could just as easily end up with ten days of straight rain - or sun!”

In short, SE Asia is a tropical weather system.. so it can rain any time of year.

If you do decide to go to Thailand in July we are told that the weather will be better in the South. You could try Koh Samui (you can fly there directly from Singapore on Bangkok airways Bangkok Air) or Krabi. Having checked out Tiger Airways, currently you can fly to Krabi (Southern Thailand) on the 26th July – return to Singapore on 2st August for S$153 (55 pounds) per person.

Or there’s Bangkok. There’s some great cultural things to see, and some cool bars/restaurants. Air Asia, Tiger Airways and JetStar Asia (part owned by Qantas), all have cheap flights from BKK-Sing and vice-versa so you could quite easily fly in/out of Bangkok rather than Singapore if the flights from London are quite a bit cheaper. At the moment flights from BKK to Sing are available at 35 pounds return on JetStar Airways.

Indonesia:

It is however the perfect time of year to go to Bali.

Don’t know your thoughts on going there given the bombings. but we have been there a couple of times – and love the island, the Hindu culture and the people. Plus the food and beer's not bad either!

There’s lots to see.. in terms of temples/culture/rice paddy fields (there’s more to Bali than the beach – in fact the beaches in Thai/Mal are much nicer..)

Having checked out JetStar Airways, you can currently you can fly to Bali (Denpasar) on the 25th July – return to Singapore on 1st August for S$155 (55 pounds) per person.

Malaysia:

There are many beautiful islands including the Perhentian/Redang islands (North East Coast) or Langkawi (North West) or Tioman (you can fly there from Singapore in about 45 mins). The east coast is the more beautiful.. amazing coral and snorkelling (though the big turtles there once were are few and far between). If you are feeling adventurous.. you could do something like get the overnight train from Singapore up to Kota Bharu, visit there, then get another train up to Thailand near where you get the ferry to Koh Samui – and then fly from Koh Samui up to Bangkok. Depends on the hassle vs adventurousness..

Alternatively Air Asia operate flights through Malaysia. You could also consider Sabah/Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo) to climb Mountains (Mount Kinabulu) or see Organ-Utans in the world.

There are also National Parks in Peninsula Malaysia (Taman Negara) or you can visit Hill Stations/Tea Plantations in the Cameron Highlands or visit the more historic towns of Penang/Melaka.

Other Suggestions:

Australia: It’s a good time of year to go to Northern Australia (Cairns/Great Barrier Reef) and flights to Oz tend to go via Singapore anyway.

Vietnam/Cambodia:
Neither is a beach holiday really…. We went to Vietnam in August, weather was hot & dry (despite it in theory being the rainy season) – you can get cheap flights to Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City with the airlines above now.. In Cambodia you could visit Anchor Wat – and in either you can do a Boat trip down the Mekong.

If you're really stuck...:
You can always email us at 22July2006@gmail.com
and young Sarah has promised to don her travel guide hat and name badge on to try and help you make the most of your trip down to Singapore

What to do in Singapore?

2006-04-03T14:28:00.000+08:00

What to do?
Apart from eating, shopping, drinking, sleeping and chilling by the pool, there are a number of things to do in sunny Singapore.

For instance, there's the Night Safari / Zoo, Sentosa / Mount Faber, The Botanic Gardens, Chinatown [a few temples, good eats and, at the rough end of the scale, you can always lunch with Damian], Little India – [pretty much like Tooting High Street, without the red buses), Arab Street [good for buying fabrics], Bukit Timar Nature Reserve [to work off all that food & drink!], the Singapore River/CBD/Colonial District [boat trip, touristy photos and the like], Raffles Hotel/Esplanade [posh hotel, Singapore Slings and a bit of culture], MacRitchie Reservoir [for walks, mosquitoes but plenty of monkeys]... the list is endless.

You can check out the Singapore Tourism Website for more info.

Where to stay?
We would recommend that you stay in the Orchard/CBD or Chinatown areas. We actually live in the West - just past Holland Village (bit of an expat enclave). Singapore is only the size of the Isle of Wight - so nothing is that far away!.

In terms of proximity to where we live two of the closest hotels are Orchard Hotel or Traders Hotel. Go to www.multimap.com (for Singapore) for specific hotel locations.

You can easily book accommodation for Singapore online. Good sites to try include:-
www.asiahotels.com
www.asiatravelmart.com
www.zuji.com.sg

We've booked stuff through all three.. I think Asia Hotels is best for hotels (funny that.. :-))

22 July, 2006

2006-04-03T14:11:00.000+08:00

The Big Day:
The main thing to note is the time that everything gets underway: 16:45. Oh yeah, and the location: Baan Aarya Thai Restaurant, 1 Indra Maya Villas, Nirwana Gardens, Bintan Resort, Riau, Indonesia. For a map of the place – and also to browse Baan Aarya’s website – please click here

Other details on Bintan, accommodation, getting there, etc can be found below!

About Bintan:
Bintan is under an hour away by ferry from Singapore, and part of the Riau archipelago of Indonesia; however the area we are travelling to (Bintan resorts) is an extension of Singapore in many (but not all!) ways. Bintan is a very big island, and you can do day trips to see the ‘real’ side of Bintan, but if you are only there for a weekend then the sea, pool, golf etc. are quite alluring..
NB: Bintan is one hour behind Singapore time and that you will need to get a visa on arrival (SGD$18 or USD$10). Plus a useful map showing Bintan Resort in relation to Singapore and other background info on Bintan can be found here

Getting there and away:
Ferries run directly from Singapore to close to the Bintan resorts. Ferry times can be found by clicking:here. For those arriving from outside Singapore we can make arrangements for ferries/accommodation for you, for Singapore based friends we will leave it up to you to organise your own travel arrangements.

Accommodation:
There are numerous accommodation options within Bintan resorts, see:- here. However as Baan Aarya is located within the Nirwana Gardens group, we recommend that all guests stay at one of the following:-

Indra Maya Villas
Mayang Sari
Nirwana Gardens
Banyu Biru

More details on these can be found at Nirwana Gardens. (Most confirmed guests are staying at Mayang Sari although we will be staying at Indra Maya villas).

For those arriving from outside Singapore we can make arrangements for accommodation for you, for Singapore based friends we will leave it up to you to organise your own accomodation arrangements.

20 July, 2006

2006-04-03T13:42:00.000+08:00

The 'legal' bit
The legal part of the wedding will take place at the Bandstand in the Botanic Gardens, at 11:30 on Thursday 20 July.

An interactive map of the whole Botanic Gardens can be found by clicking here. But you only need to worry about getting to Tyersall Gate.

The ‘lunch’ bit
Afterwards, we’ll take a short stroll in the Botanic Gardens to the Halia Restaurant in the Ginger Garden. [Halia is the Malay word for ginger. And is also the name of our pesky kitten!]. For those who worry about such matters, the full address is Halia Restaurant, 1 Cluny Road, Ginger Garden, (via Tyersall Avenue), Singapore Botanic Gardens, S.259569

The ‘launch’ bit
Around 3pm, we’ll head off home to pick up our bags (and say au revoir to our cats, Jaffy and Halia) and rush off to catch the 5pm ferry to Bintan, Indonesia.

The ‘later’ bit
No plans, as such, have been made that evening but I am guessing that we’ll have a little drink and some eats by the beach/pool/villa with whoever can make it.

Uncle Wally and Aunty Violet

2006-03-27T22:36:00.000+08:00

The huge downside of having a wedding overseas is that, for one reason or another, not all of your friends and family will be able to make it. [Some might say that's a huge advantage but that's another story...]

One couple who will be sorely missed on 22 July are Mr and Mrs Wally Whittaker.

Known to Sarah as 'Uncle Wally and Aunty Violet', they have known Sarah since she was tiny and have been extremely good neighbours, friends and cat-feeders to the Hargreaves (and others, no doubt, in Church Lane, Chessington) for over thirty years.
Sarah has adopted some good habits from Wally and Violet - like if something has to be done, it has to be done right and swearing isn't something to be proud of (Pam!). Though, sadly, Wally's exceptional DIY skills have never quite rubbed off on Sarah.

Anyway, I know that we'll both be thinking of Wally and Violet in July. And will no doubt be raising a glass or two with them later on in the year.

Nila? No, Lah!

2006-03-27T22:19:00.000+08:00

A good pal of Sarah's, Nila (pictured below, in her Saturday night best) will not be able to make it out here in July.
Nila did make it out here last year, though, with both her very good friend, and Sarah's partner in crime too, Kimbles (which I gather is not her real name, as it's too feline sounding really. Anyway, more on Kimbles another time.)

The three girls used to lay low in Moira Court, Tooting Bec (although estate agents now call the area 'Balham') where they used to plan parties, nights out/in and discuss fellas, world politics, Eastenders and make-up.

Nila, Kimbles and Sarah were part of the original 'Gang of Four' (the other member being a certain Rachey Rache - news on her to appear here shortly, just as soon as our legal eagles have cleared it).

Apparently this quartet of lasses loved nothing better to do than to get dressed up/down and have a large giggle, drink, cry and a laugh (though not always in that order). However, the long arm of the law soon caught up with this loud, fearsome, foursome (after a few drinks and Abba songs, anyway) and they were each given an ASBO.

As part of thier sentencing, they were ordered to separated for a yet-to-be-fixed period of time.

Rachey Rache (ring leader and Maggie Thatcher impersonator) was packed off to Paris, Kimbles (scrabble-queen and getaway driver) was banished to Brighton, Sarah (an innocent lass who fell in with the wrong crowd, honest) was sent to Singapore and poor old Nila (who, to all accounts, was 'fitted up like a kipper') was marched off to Muswell Hill.

Rumours were rife that they were all planning one 'big last nite out' - but it looks like it will have to be at another time, another place....Unless, of course, one of them wins the lottery!

Magnus and Jean Thorne

2006-03-27T22:04:00.000+08:00

Another couple who look like they're not going to be able to make it, are Magnus and Jean Thorne. The main reason is that Mr & Mrs T have a young toddler, in the shape of Callum to worry about. And today, according to Callum, his mum has another baby in her tummy! So massive congrats to Magnus and Jean, but shame they won't be out this way.

[Although, we can't really complain as Magnus did make it out to Singapore a few years ago. Here he is being a tad camera shy after a few ales in the sun:

For those who've never been to Singapore...

2006-03-27T21:46:00.000+08:00

Before we set out for Singapore all those moons ago, I remember Mike Patey (an old footy mucker) saying to me after game down at Haydons' Rd, that Singapore was a bit 'staid'. Not knowing what 'staid' meant (other than the past tense of 'to stay'), I acted interested and then just distracted him by asking him if he wanted another pint.

Four and a bit years on, I am still in the dark about 'staid', we can get let our hair down, or in Sarah/Marge's case, put it up!

Cassandra and Martin

2006-03-27T21:28:00.000+08:00

Unfortunately, Cass and Martin are unable to make it to Singapore in July. The reason being is that they're going to get married in the UK in August. Well, two can play that game so we'll have to turn down the invite to their bash for the same reason ! ;-)

Anyway, here’s Cass and Sazz, who've known each other some years now, after they met at UM in London:
And, shaking his thang, is Cass' fella, Martin. He and I first met at a bbq that Martin & Cass threw at their place in S.London. I seem to recall helping Martin polish off about 20 leftover burgers with some vino in the early hours. But, for some reason, the night we ended up on port and Ribena probably tops the lot!