One of the sad parts of getting old is attending more and more funerals and less and less weddings so it was with considerable excitement that we received an invitation to the wedding of nephew Christopher and his long term partner Alina Isaev.
Because we are normally gone by early October we had originally planned to go as normal then fly back for the wedding, but decided we have plenty we can do and go to warmer climes later, that way we can take the caravan stay close to the Lympne Castle, Kent venue and afterwards drive straight to Portsmouth or Plymouth and take the ferry to Spain.
With ferry booked we then started looking for a campsite within five miles of the venue - nothing.
We looked for campsite within ten miles - nothing suitable.
We looked for campsite within twenty miles - one possible, but with twenty miles to drive before and after the event . . . . .
We look for an hotel.
We chose the Hythe Imperial Hotel, we thought we remembered an email from sister Janice saying she and Peter were staying there. What we did not know till we checked in was that middle sister Marion and Syd, Brother Richard and Elaine all of their four children (including groom Christopher) and their partners, bride Alina and her family and friends were all staying. The night before the wedding turned into something of a party that kept the hotel bar open until the wee small hours. The wedding was (we hope) all that the happy couple and their guests could have wished for with both a superb venue and a glorious, if cold, sunny day.