Wedding Number Three – The Pagan Maypole Fiasco
As it was May 1st and Liz’s twenty first birthday we decided to get a Maypole fertility symbol and do our own Woodstock gathering/pagan ceremony.
We invited all our friends and family.
Liz’s parents boycotted it.
Richmond Park would not let us put up a Maypole.
We couldn’t get a Maypole.
We had no money, food, drink or sounds.
So we sent out an invite (a photo of us with handwritten invite on the back) all our friends to a Pagan wedding ceremony in Oxshot Woods.
Everyone had to bring food and drink to share and perform something – A poem, song, mime, dance – we got the lot.
We found a clearing in among the trees, a friend set up a sound system from his van and everyone gathered- they somehow found us.
We had been a little concerned as the week before the heavens had opened and it had snowed. But it shined on us and was warm and pleasant. We set the woods alight with laughter, dancing, guitars, Rock, mime (? – yes mime), drama, singing and had fun. There was food and drink aplenty.
We’d collected these ice-cream tubs from cinemas which were like Greek goblets. They worked well.
It went like magic. It was magic. My parents sat serenely in the middle while everyone, long-haired and in the brightest colours, cavorted around. I have a mental picture of them sitting there enjoying it – my Dad with pipe in mouth and my Mum smiling.
Instead of a maypole we had a living tree. We had a big circle dance. It was crazy and mad. It was a fiasco that all went to plan!
That was the best Wedding of the three!
Blessed by nature, perhaps?
You could say that! It’s a nice thought.
Kinda like the Buddhist one too. There’s only one way to find out … fight!
yep. good to hear from you Dave
Well done. My kind of ceremony !
cheers Mick
Sounds absolutely wonderful, a dream come true.
It was wonderful! Great memories – perfect day!
Better memories than mine then. You have this wonderful passion for life I did too but inside. Still have strong feelings, boys think I am mad collecting all I have and today more online auctions re Rod McKuen, I want to bequeath to a University over there, his family don’t seem to care, he made the money and now has died that’s it, lousy. Rod McKuen was far too important to be forgotten.
I pick up all mixed feelings regarding your late husband. You seem ambivalent.
Rod McKuen is a poet I have not really studied. I will have to check him out some more. What would you recommend?
I loved my husband so much, he would tell me “too much” I thought that was a compliment I learned after he died it was not. He for reasons known to himself got a taxi the time whe n Tatcher was putting up mortgage rates, I hated this ntaxi anyhow he did very little except pick up this woman down the road who went to thtr C
Right. Explains it.
Don;t know what I done here, you get the meaning, sorry for all mistakes I generally correct before posting. David would take barbara to the conservative club 6 times a week, he would watch the phone for her to ring, could not pass her house in the car without watching it. She told me after he died, just general chat she thought, that David would sit with her in the club all the time until he took her home, he would come home to me and complain he had to sit in a taxi all night, we would have words. It was not me I was concerned about it was the boys, two little boys who needed him and he was with her he seemed to turn against Jonathan he is too like me, David-Patrick reminded David of his father and he was all over DP. as I said I never knew this for 16 years and 16 years I mourned him I stopped right then. There was always a doubt after I married, David had a past in India I think when he was there RAF, if you get my meaning, I was 30 years younger, slim blond blue eyes and I did not exist hardly if any physically. I wanted 4/8 children all boys if I could I got two and told “no more”. Sorry if I confuse you, Irish blood, but I DON’T lie I am too honest too soft, easily used Opher.
That sounds so hard to live with. Some people don’t know how to be honest.
You could say that again, maybe we get what we deserve -” just put and shut up”.
No. I don’t think that’s true. Some people seem to get it easy and others have a lot to put up with. You have made me think pof an anecdote about a disabled guy. I’ll go and write it now! You’ll like it.
I am sure I will
There you go. I did. Did you?
Yes.
Well that was succinct and to the point.
I usually ramble on don’t I.
Well you normally have a bit more to say than that!
I am laughing away here thanks to you, yes i do like to talk I am known for that, Sometimes, well most times, when my Son is working on his internet (trying to make money) I talk to him and quite often say “are you listening to me David Patrick” to which he firmly replies “no never”. It is my Irish blood we love to talk, yet my Father came from Blarney Village and he was so quiet, very reserved. Maybe it was my Mother with her gossip kept him quiet!! There you are I am rambling on again.
Now even that is relatively short!
Before I go to auction, have to answer that one, or should I – no keep it short.
See – you are speechless already!
No I AM BACK, my auction does not come on for a while load of other items before mine. My Sons switch of sometimes when I am talking, should say most of the time. I do like to talk that is why I talk to myself, something to do with being a Loner perhaps, I can do without company, I enjoy my own company and will always find something to do. I am never lonely I suppose I should be but I am not, just a Loner and not a joiner never been that. Wanted to be a Brownie when I was small mother said said “No”. Probably stems from her, would go now and again to see westerns at cinema and come back and play them out in the garden. Did play with Peter next door (his mother the beautiful German Jeannie)he taught me to climb our walls, play cricket/football etc no good at games. Cut out thumbs once and mixed our bloods and told me we would be blood brothers for life, so often think of Peter. I was stopped from playing with him my mother accused him of theft. This is probably why I am a loner. Right there you go not speechless and I have not even got to “Ginny”.
Does that mean I can uncross? I did blood brothers a few times!
Yes, but I only managed one of his personal diaries, upset at that. I do have several personal letters sent to him, I buy books that are for sale from his own Library – dealing with this great book store in States. Do you think of those you did “blood brothers” with. I love it because the American Indians did it, don’t get me started on them it is disgusting what was done to them, noble people and look at them. Yes you can uncross, but more auctions on Nov. 12 and next February, I want some things from Nov 12, David tells me I have to stop sometime (he pays).
You must have quite a collection! Impressive!
I often think about all those old friends from way back. I’ve lost contact but they are still part of my life, who I am. Those formative days were so important.
The 12th isn’t far ahead. What’s coming up in that auction?
On the 12 more very personal items, I hate what this “brother” of his is doing because Rod although physically a strong man, emotion not strong (raped by his uncle when he was 7 and sexually interfered with by his aunt) he would be horrified that so much of his personal life is being sold off. I just do not want to see it on Ebay that is why I am buying what I can and then bequeathing it to one of the Universities he lectured at. What is being done is so disgusting, money that is all that matters it seems. 12/11 books/private scrapbooks/photographs/army discharge papers/his cars plates it goes on and on. Yes, I do have a large collection, David said last night i COULD BUY (IF i DROVE, TELL YOU ABOUT THAT ONE DAY, MAKE YOU LAUGH)
I do not know what I am doing, typed message to you and it has “gone” have no idea where it has gone but it has. November 12 is more books/private scrapbooks/private photo collection/army discharge papers/cars plates the list goes on and on. Rod would be so upset that so much of his private life is being sold off. This so called “brother” of his is disgusting, money that is all that matters. You would think his family would like to keep all his personal items, but no. Rod was a strong man physically, ran away from home and worked from then to before he died, emotionally far from strong. His story is remarkable it really is. Raped by an uncle when he was 7, sexually interfered with by an aunt, what more can be done to destroy a child. I am buying (or rather David for me) as much as I can from his estate, particularly private items as I do not want them to end up on Ebay etc, I plan to bequeath my collection, and yes it is big, to one of the Universities he lectured at. Already items purchased have gone back to the Auction house to sell again, most putting another $1,000 on the items, disgusting. Yes, I fell in love with what was one of his songs, the music on AFN, then I heard the singer sometime later, fell in love with his voice then was fortunate enough to see him at the Royal Albert Hall and fell in love with him that was over 45 years ago, mad yes I suppose I am but not for him I would not have taken up writing. He got me through some pretty bad times – there you are that is me take me or leave me I have no side just me.
Blood Brothers so important there is always a bond deep down. Have to get ready, INR test at the surgery. Raining here, cold and rotten. If another message turns up half finished you will know it is me not knowing what I am doing.
You obviously like him a lot. It means a lot to you and that is what is important.
Yes I did, do, he was so important to me to so many.
Where do I start?
Reblogged this on Opher's World and commented:
A pagan ceremony with friends!!