Off to final fitting for dress for TWOTY last night and all was well and the dress is perfect, the veil divine, shoes lovely and all well. So then it could be taken away and left in my tender care until the Big Day. This responsibility weights heavy on me I can tell you.
Out of the shop into crowded Oxford Street and pouring rain and, fortunately, managed to grab a taxi pretty quickly. Big hug from Bride and a promise to let her know as soon as I arrived home safely and off we went. Driver said 'Ah, your daughter getting married is she?' and when I said yes, he then proceeded to tell me that he and his wife were celebrating their Golden Wedding next week and his two sons had paid for a cruise for the both of them to celebrate and they were having a huge party with grandchildren etc. 'You don't mind me chatting do you? Please tell me if you want me to be quiet...' I demurred and we yakked all the way. We set the world to rights, lambasted the current government (could think of another name for this administration but this is a blog read by many people so must watch my language), changes he had seen in London in his forty years as a cab driver, holidays we had both enjoyed etc etc and in the end both agreed that the family was the most important thing in life and he had been very happy with his wife. 'She's been good to me' he said 'I've been very lucky and I never forget it'. Arrived at Liverpool Street, he got out to help me alight, shook my hand, said it had been a pleasure talking to me and wished Helen all the best for her wedding. He was delightful and I really enjoyed the ride.
My intention had been to purchase an upgrade and travel first class where there is more room, but took one look at the vast queues snaking across the concourse and decided not to bother. Got onto an Inter-City which had just arrived which meant I had a choice of seats and found one which had plenty of room behind the seat back and the bulkhead, for want of a better word, where I was able to hook up the dress in its packing. I then spent the next hour on the train watching it obsessively and flinching every time somebody lurched past clutching a drink in case they tripped and spilled it over the bag or tripped and dragged it down or some other disaster. I had visions of the train crashing and me being carried out of the wreckage screaming 'Don't forget the DRESS'......
Arrived safely at Colchester and as I was standing waiting to get off, a young lady looked at the bag, saw the name of the bridal shop and a smile crept over her face as she realised what it must contain. She then looked up at me and I saw the look of shock on her face and I could read her mind 'Surely that can't be the bride?' she dropped her eyes as she spotted I had seen her and as we were getting off the train and as she nipped past me, I could not resist the temptation to whisper to her 'I'm the Mother'. 'Oh' she shrieked, went bright pink and shot down the stairs. A bit wicked of me but I couldn't resist it.
I drove home at a very decorous pace to make sure that I wasn't stopped for speeding, or going to slow or something or other and did not relax until I was indoors and all was safely hung up. A text was then sent to the Bride....'The Eagle has Landed'
We can now sleep easy.
