A wedding at zoo

Chris and Louise got married at Chester zoo and it turned out to be a brilliant idea.



The days and weeks prior to wedding were very miserable but the wedding day itself was wonderful bright day with odd cloud but no rain, I arrived with Andy, Heather and kids and met Jeff, Lucy, Matt and Sam at gate.



We then spent the morning wondering the zoo, I had brought tie and jacket with me but left them in the car and unfortunately that's were they stayed for the whole day leaving looking a bit of scruff compared to the rest.

Starting with a quick monorail ride which took you only half way around the zoo we took in quite a lot before returning mid day to the hall within the zoo for the wedding. There people like Grum, Colin, Lotti, Gareth, Leslie, James, Dom, & Brian were waiting along with the groom, Karen was best man well I suppose best person. The bride was hidden away in wedding dress somewhere.



Called into the hall we were seated and waited for the bride who looked wonderful when she arrived, although Chris looked smart in his wedding suit.



The civil ceremony was conducted with a bit humour by the registrar or whatever you call her, followed by poem, all of which went well with the rest of the style of the wedding, they even managed to forgo best man speeches apart from quick thank you to everyone, which I thought was great.

After the wedding and bite to eat were told we could wonder the zoo again until it closed at which point we asked to return for cake cutting, more food and special treat.

I wondered the zoo with a few of those listed above, you can see some pictures below. Unlike Twycross which is a monkey/ape zoo Chester seems to concentrate of cats more than anything, although like most zoos it has a fair share of everything, including a bat cave which is pitch black until your eyes adjust and then full of bad whizzing past you and no doubt pooing on the odd person.








Chris and Louise cut the very nice giant chocolate cheese cake, then the zoo keepers turned up to give a personal public free tour of zoo and watch them feed the animals which was ace since some of the shy animals turned out especially for us. I particularly like the black panther which was invisible in its enclosure, but quick call and thrown fish and the panther darted out the undergrowth and incredible speed, ran along the windows and disappeared back into the undergrowth turning invisible again, what a wonderful animal.


Chris & Louise then took a few of us larpers off to see a statue he had found in corner of zoo not very visited while having professional photos taken, the statue photo below must have been created by some sort of cthulhu horror fan see photos below.




After the tour we returned to chocolate fountain and disco, chocolate fountain was yummy, although I should not have had that last chocolate covered strawberry which left me bloated and uncomfortable, but it was a chocolate fountain with quality chocolate so how could I resist.

I can honestly say the best wedding I've ever been too.

Got home early next morning since I decided not to stay locally.

A few more zoo pictures

Today Sunday.

Just spent today visiting friends, went to visit Jock and Bridget, knocked on the door and didn't get a answer but as I walked away the old lady a few doors up the street with her black cat said their in you know just knock louder, the street Jock and Bridget live on is obviously a proper old fashioned neighbourhood were neighbours actually speak to each others and know each other business.

Bridget was drying her hair and Jock in the bath, anyway the old lady apparently knows every one's movements on the street via the black cats that talk to her. Not long after sitting down with them for a coffee a 85 year gentleman started shoving chocolate bars through the letter box, something he does regularly according to Bridget, although occasionally its out of date packets of biscuits, apparently he's going a little senile and forgets were he lives, but he's friendly old chap, still wearing the same winter coat this summer he wore 30 years ago and gives big exuberant waves to everyone like he knows you.

This photo deserve a explanation but I won't give it.


After spending a couple of hours with Jock and Bridget, I went on to visit Andy and Linda, mainly to drop off Andy's birthday card.

I arrived in the midst of crisis Andy had attempted to cut off his finger with the electric hedge cutters, but luckily was unsuccessful and just managed a horrible mangled looking cut which did not want to stop bleeding, still a bandage later he had regained his lost hit point.

Linda then showed me her bra and told about the sponsored moon walk she did for breast cancer with Freda who is currently recovering from her Chemotherapy, a 15 mile fast walk which started at midnight through to the early hours, which is probably why its called the Moon Walk. Back to the bra the participants all had to wear decorated bra's, Linda's was pink and covered in lights.

Linda's bra



While I'm posting bad photograph here is one of Ste at Andy and Linda's BBQ a few weeks ago.



While I think about it Katie who is currently in USA on a 4 week camping trip showed me her new tattoo on her foot at the same BBQ.


This is better photo, taken by somebody else.


Before visiting my friends I went to Tansley's massive car boot, which was very busy with the nice weather, but saw nothing I wanted. I was mainly looking for junk to use for props, but nothing inspired me. I did go skip diving earlier in the week and recovered a Dr Who Tardis that was spotted.



Junk is great, as you can see below this is what you get from old brass imitation light, a draw handle, a old table leg and drainer. Yes you get a steam punk elemental powered drill, obviously :).

I bought a new hat.

Nice trip to Living History Fayre in Warwickshire yesterday with Julie and Dave, we also ran in Doug and Izsy for a quick chat, and few other friends not has many as usual though. The fayre was very busy and I heard one trader comment "what recession" and another mention to Julie that all the stock they had left was on display.

I bought myself a 18thC knitted seaman's forage cap from 'Tinkers Tailor' as per the photo below, a pretty book with blank pages as a birthday present.



After watching Doug and Izsy buy cakes from the confectioners (Angela Pantry) stall I also succumbed and bought a packet of Whiskey and Ginger Fudge, and some small round white sweets called Whores Farts (warning do not put this into your search engine to check the ingredients as I did you get all sorts xxx related links even if you add extra words like sweet or confectionery) can't tell you whats in them since there's no label and forgot what it said on the stall which is very irritating. Both packs of sweets are for my mother, although I won't be telling her what the sweets are called, I did get to try the fudge since Doug started a trend and Julie also bought some, and gave me bit to try, very nice.

Dave tried on a Tail coat without asking the price as the photo below on what was from previous experience a very expensive stall, so after 15 minutes of dressing looking and examining the garment he finally asked the price to which the nice man replied well the outfits six hundred pounds, the coat on its own three hundred and fifty pounds, to which Dave replied a little out my pocket I was thinking well hundred pound tops, hmm did see that one coming still Dave did go back and buy some very nice epaulets from same guy.



After the fayre we went for bite to eat at the Cocked Hat in Coventry rather than try the cardboard food at the Fayre which is most unappealing.

Today my tasks were and are to get information from AndyL and start the map for the Acendancy Borgengast campaign and also paints some toy soldiers, I'm currently painting Lizardmen one unit is complete, 1 started and 3 undercoated to make my five unit target.

Visit for my Mums sweet tooth.

It was my Mums birthday this week so I offered to take her out Saturday to sunny (I wish) Belper to visit the new chocolate shop Midland Midlife pointed out.

My mum is big chocolate fan, loves Thornton's whose factory is 1 or so miles from her house, loves Hotel chocolate and also has a monthly specialty chocolate order, so once I learned about the new shop I knew a visit would make good birthday gift for my Mum. So Saturday morning through the freezing fog I drove her to I should Cocoa, a small shop and cafe in Belper, where I treated her to one of everything, well nearly we didn't get any giant white chocolate rats with pink tails since they were far too scary. My mum thinks the chocolates are great.

The chilly day when straight through me with mid day temperature hovering at around -1 deg C to 0 deg C and damp air making it feel even colder, we did quick walk of the street of Belper since it not normally on my radar looking at the the Old Fashioned Sweet shop and bead shop. Belper for a small town as quite nice selection of unique shops.

After that we headed in Matlock direction before I took her home where I was fed Thornton's Birthday cake, my brother had delivered and offered fresh lime and cream cake my other brother had sent, and then looked at big box of chocolates my sisters had delivered and was in the process of eating.