chrishansenhome

We've been and gone and done it, yesterday, at Southwark Registry Office.

There are some photos and a little chronology of the day's events behind the cut.

We began the day quietly, with a lot of reflection and getting ready for the effort. I booked the restaurant for dinner afterwards, HWMBO and I got the groceries (with me walking very slowly to and from the shopping centre), and Paul Sears, our US houseguest, giving us moral support. At 2 the people carrier turned up and we all boarded. The cast (besides us) was:

Paul, Ethel King (witness 1), Mark Cato (witness 2), and Rob (Mark's partner).

We got there, and found that the waiting room was on the first floor (=second floor for USans). I had to very carefully get up the stairs, and wait.

The waiting room was pretty spare, but here we are:

and here's a close-up of Ethel, who is a fellow parishioner of ours at St. Matthew's, and a real live wire:

The registrar ushered us into her office and explained the procedure, while we sat there somewhat nervously. We had to sign a form, and then our witnesses signed the form and the certificate, and finally the registrar signed the form. We got to keep the form and the certificate. So, I signed:

and then HWMBO:

While we signed, we had to repeat a declaration on the form, and my voice broke during the signing. This was something I thought I would never get the opportunity of doing in my lifetime, and here I was, doing it.

Now the witnesses: first Ethel:

and then Mark:

and then the Registrar makes it official:

Our reaction?

and

Down two staircases, very carefully:

and

and then back home for a mini-party. At 6 we walked (again, very slowly, to the Pizzeria Castello, where we got the comic waiter (yet again) fishing for tips. No pics of him, but one of us:

and one of Paul, which I love, as it captures his essential sense of fun!

Home again for cake and bed. I woke up with slightly high blood sugar, from the stress and the sliver of cake I had. But it was all worth it. I can't tell you how happy we both are now, and how thankful that our good friends could be here to share it with us. I'm even more thankful that the heart attack last week was not so debilitating that it prevented me from going ahead with this. The staff at St. Thomas's were good enough to ensure that I was alive and kicking (if weakly) for the great event.

Now we have the task of living the rest of our lives together.

Thanks to everyone who sent us cards or good wishes yesterday (especially John Song and Caff, you know who you are! Also Jane Saw, who called this morning from Los Angeles.) We appreciate the love and support we've received.