So you may have all been waiting for images of the big moment but I am afraid they're crap. But, of course, if you really want to see the pictures plenty will be available in due course; just not from me.
Here they are with Julie's nephew and niece:
Now you see what I mean about the quality. Sorry.
The wedding was rather lovely and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would; if I am honest. Of course a front row seat for the father of the groom. Which meant I could see close up the mutual adoration of the happy couple. Who could deny them such obvious delight in their lives.
Its just the paraphernalia that surrounds it. The protocols and procedures. We already made it complicated by having the parents of the groom and the stepfather of the groom, so we tended to be marched around as a kind of menage a trois. My sister and family, who'd partially organised their summer holiday in order to attend, were missed out of the private family party who got a special reception room, with the couple, straight after the ceremony. Patrick's sister wasn't included in the grand family march past entry to the reception dinner. The photographs went on for about 30 minutes, with voracious midges gradually getting the message that a big free supper was on offer. There was more fuss and protocol flying around than I used to get as the Lord Mayor of Newcastle.
Eventually we settled down to a decent drinking, dancing and nattering party which included all the classic elements of a good do. We had the hotel staff admonishing us for drinking non-hotel supplied booze, actually a rather decent bottle of 21 year old Glenfiddich malt whiskey that Patrick had thoughtfully provided, and I was damned if I was going to be told we couldn't drink it discreetly out on the back terrace; given the amount of money the hotel was getting, so I had to get a tad arsey. Then getting thrown out, by hotel management, of someone's room, club 501 I seem to recall, where the inevitable after time party materialised. I finally ended up with a decently sized group of proper partygoers on the terrace outside the front of the hotel. I confess to being a bit of a lightweight by 2 a.m. or was it 3 a.m. Whatever, I had to leave the youngsters to it.
Sunday brought a brunch at Julie's parents house and a time to cement bonds a little. Gentle, relaxed and a necessary contrast to the frenzied activities of Saturday.
Then, mid-Sunday afternoon, time to go and check out 'Occupy Worcester'. The brunch had, quite appropriately, held us until nearly 3 p.m. so it was getting on for 3.30 before we arrived at an event billed to start at 1.30. Nevertheless they were still going strong. I was a little misleading in the last post about Worcester's size. Just because I had never heard of the place before didn't mean it wasn't quite a substantial city. Turns out to be the second largest city, after Boston. Anyhow the good people of Worcester had managed a turnout of a couple of hundred.
The simple theme emerging here, and elsewhere, is the plain injustice of the 1% getting richer whilst almost everybody else gets poorer. The New England Telegram and Gazette this morning has a front page story headlined, "Incomes fell more after the recession ended" and this is typical now. Saturday's paper (one thing about this expensive hotel is at least you get a free paper each morning) also had large articles on the economy's failure to pick up and the consequential damage to employment; and one on life story examples of failure to obtain work Contrary to claims of a media blackout I have to report that the Occupy movement is being reported, at least here. The event I picture above was the front page lead story in the Telegram and Gazette.
Nice too to see this placard yesterday:
It was an event of open speaking, with anybody able to air their view. A technique has developed, apparently to deal with loudhailer/megaphone restrictions, which they call the 'Human Microphone'. A little odd when we first encountered it. Speakers use short phrases which the crowd then repeat. It sounded a bit like kindergarten to begin with and, actually, wasn't strictly necessary for most of the speakers. The crowd was small enough for everyone to hear all but the timidest of voices. However I can see how it could work well in relaying words over a larger crowd taking up a bigger space. Used well of course it has a powerful effect in reinforcing messages through repetition. Yep, more I think about it the more like kindergarten it is, but I don't mean that in a belittling way.
As for the content of debate, well that varied. I am tempted to sound terribly patronising and say, they'll learn a lot by going through this process, but it sure is a painfully slow one. What comes through is that film quote I remembered; "we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it". I haven't heard anyone actually say this but its the flavour of what is going down.
I have to move on now, inland to try and find the fabled New England 'fall' of leaves turning colour. I will try and get some time to contact occupyworcester.com and share one or two of my pearls of wisdom: Check out 'UK Uncut' and their direct action techniques against the corporates; and understand that the corporates are global and you should think that way too. They could also do worse than check out www.EconomicUprising.com a group with some political thinking behind it on how to deal with the problems and react this extraordinary spontaneous expression of discontent. And it is extraordinary, for America, what seems to be happening.
Of course the whole 'Occupy' movement started after I arrived. So I take total credit for it all. Someone has been reading these blogs and put two and two together. I wish.
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