When Love Comes Full Circle

Around thirty-six years ago, Nick and Jenny met at Girton College. 

So did Nigel and I. 

On Saturday, Nick and Jenny’s lovely daughter Annwyn married Andrew whom she also met there.

The wedding took place amid the red brick and wooden panelling that is Girton, in such fine weather that the bluebells were beginning to bloom in the College grounds.

There was one person there who has been witness to all our love stories.  On the wall of the Great Hall, watching over dons and students, there hangs a portrait.  It is Emily Davies, a great feminist and suffragist and the founder of Girton, which was originally a women's college.

I’m sure that our various romances will have drawn only a wry smile from her, but hopefully Saturday’s wedding will have delighted her with its feminist improvements on the wedding traditions:

Emily Davies

The ceremony in Girton Chapel was presided over by Beth and Alison, two female clergy who are (like Nigel and I) godparents to Annwyn.

The bride and groom walked down the aisle together rather than having the patriarchal “giving away” of the bride.

The formal speeches were given even-handedly by men and women - by the groom’s father and the bride’s mother, by the best man and the chief bridesmaid and by the bride and the groom.

It was in fact Andrew in his speech who asked whether Emily Davies would have approved.  We all agreed with him that she most certainly would.

A green dress by Annabel was another innovation.

Annwyn's parents met here too.  And look pretty much exactly as they did then.