Sunday 7 February 2010

Z received a Proposal

In the spirit of frivolity, I thought I'd tell you of when the Sage and I got married. I can't remember how much I've said before about this, but since no one generally reads archives anyway (except Mago - but surely not of blogs?), not even I in my own blog, I'll tell you anyway.

It's about now*, 37 years ago, that we got engaged. We'd been to a picture exhibition in a gallery at Long Melford and presumably had dinner either when coming or going. We'd been seeing each other regularly for quite three weeks so had, both of us being astute judges of character and more impulsive than we looked, become decidedly smitten. We stopped for some conversation on the way home, in the course of which the Sage proposed.

Well, he said "Will you?" and stopped. And I said "Yes." And he said "Will you?" and I said "yes". Third time lucky and he managed to pop the question. And I said "yes."

The next day was a Saturday and I went to work at the library, having arranged to meet each other in his office at lunch time. I didn't say anything at work, being the subtle and secretive type. When I got there, he asked me if I'd like to choose an engagement ring or if I'd like a family ring. I'd always rather have antique than new, so I chose the latter, whereupon he produced a box from his pocket, that contained a Victorian sapphire and diamond ring which he put on my finger. It fitted perfectly.

Afterwards, I went back to work and still didn't say anything, although after a while it was noticed...

Over lunchtime (I can't remember if we went to the Yacht Club just opposite for lunch or if we just stayed and talked), we talked about getting married. He owned his own house, which simplified matters, and neither of us was in favour of a long engagement. I preferred a quiet, simple wedding as soon as possible - I saw no point in waiting. Rather like making the decision to have my new hip, when I phoned the doctor the next day, I see no point in waiting once the decision is made, unless it's for a practical purpose. However, he was a bit worried about that. His brother had rather shocked their parents the previous year by suddenly getting married while travelling in Australia to a woman whom none of the family had met and about whom they'd heard little if anything, and he thought his mother should have an occasion to enjoy. We agreed that August would be a good month and it would be the full monty in church and all.

It was one brief anecdote I was going to tell you, of which I was reminded by the setting of tonight's Antiques Roadshow in Bath. But now I'm putting it in context, I'll inflict the whole story on you. Heh. It may take days.

* I've just looked up the dates for 1973. It was the 9th February when we became engaged. We've never marked it - we're not too bothered about anniversaries.

16 comments:

Dave said...

Wasn't the Full Monty a film about strippers? Not that I've seen it, you understand, not doing popular culture. Still, the mind boggles at your wedding. Will you be publishing photos?

Btw (as the young people say) I believe you mean 'but' rather than 'bot' in the penultimate paragraph (assuming we may treat the footnote as the final one).

Dave said...

If it had been a film about El Alemain I'm sure I would have seen it.

Z said...

The phrase long predates the film, dear heart, and has a more general meaning. I assure you, everyone was fully dressed when we got married.

I'm not too bothered about the odd typo, or even a spelling or grammatical mistake. Since you evidently are, however, I'll correct it.

Marion said...

I really like your remembrances. I hope at least one person wore pajamas, just for dramatic effect.

DILLIGAF said...

On the plus side I was 16 in '73 so you were unlikely to get stuck with me eh?...;-)

I actually started wearing pyjama bottoms last year as opposed to nude sleeping.

I think it's my increasing beer girth....

'everyone was fully dressed when we got married'....I should think so as well!!!!

Z said...

Well, funnily enough, Marion - but you'll have to wait for that.

Time, tide and Z wait for no man, 4D.

I usually don't wear anything in bed, but I have since my operation. I suppose it's that I bought stuff for hospital, so I want to get my money's worth. Also, I'm sleeping downstairs so if the postman knocks early, I don't want to get caught in an embarrassing situation.

lom said...

ahh that's nice, love at first sight then.

Z said...

I'm decisive, not impulsive, LOM. We had known each other for three years, but had not thought of each other in a romantic way at all. When we met, he was in his 30s and I was a schoolgirl of 16.

Pat said...

I'm glad yours turned out better than mine - after a proposal ten days after meeting - although it did last 28 years and produced two lovely sons.

Z said...

We already knew and liked each other - I honestly don't think I'd trust my instincts after ten days, not to live with someone at any rate. Of course, we've had our ups and downs, but once we got to thirty years I finally felt we'd made it.

Christopher said...

How romantic. I wonder what paintings you'd been looking at at that exhibition? Could one/some of them have brought things to a head?

Z said...

It would have been an exhibition of East Anglian artists. He didn't buy anything on that occasion, but he'd have been interested in Tom and ER Smythe.

A picture is central to the original story I was going to tell before I decided to take several days of our time by relating the whole story. There's not much going on here to tell you about you see, so it'll save me having to think of something to write.

lom said...

looking forward to reading all about it

Roses said...

Oh wow.

What a wonderful story and with a Happily Ever During as well.

Does my heart good to hear of success stories like yours.

luckyzmom said...

My husband asked me to be his wife in 1976, on the 4th of July, which is a very significant day for us in the US. Not that we bother about it, it is just easy to remember. We were sitting on the piano bench in his aunt's house and.......

Z said...

I trust we're going to get the whole story, LZM.