The Royal wedding - A perfect day

BILLIONS watched on TV across the globe, millions celebrated in London and around the UK and two kisses on the world’s most famous balcony.  The Royal Wedding was an amazing day, with a beautiful mix of tradition and modernity.

    Tonight, Prince William and Kate Middleton, now known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be attending a party hosted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.  It completes a day that will be looked back on as a truly perfect day for the nations new Prince and Princess.  Prime Minister David Cameron described it afterwards as a day that ‘Britain was at its best.’  He was most definitely right.

    The ceremony itself at the historic Westminster Abbey was a grand occasion.  William and his best man, Prince Harry arrived at 10am, 90 minutes after the doors opened to the many hundreds of guests invited to the wedding of the century.  They included Prince Albert of Monaco, the Australian Prime Minister and many leaders from the Commonwealth.  David Beckham, Sir Elton John, amateur jockey Sam-Wahey Cohen and former Prime Minister John Major were amongst the celebrities in attendance, as were current political figureheads Cameron, Nick Clegg, George Osbourne and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.  Former leaders Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were surprisingly not included on the guest list however.  Also in attendance were close friends of the happy couple. 

BEAUTIFUL: Kate heads into the Abbey in her stunning dress

    An hour after Prince William arrived, Kate Middleton turned up in the back of a black car.  The blushing bride was escorted to the aisle by her proud father, Michael.  After huge anticipation and weeks of speculation, the wedding dress was simply spectacular.  Designed by Sarah Burton; the successor to the late, great fashion designer Alexander McQueen, it was a dress that bought back memories of Grace Kelly’s dress on her wedding day to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.  The thin veil could see every single delightful expression of Kate.  Choosing Burton as her designer for the big day will also be a big boost to the British Fashion Industry.  It also celebrated the legacy of Alexander McQueen – who was a legend in his fashion showcases until his death last February.  The dress was well-executed and there can be no doubt that it was made fit to look like and be worn by a Princess.

    The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams produced the service impeccably, to the happy couple.  They looked very relaxed throughout, although the way William did struggle to get the ring on Kate’s middle finger did suggest the understandable and traditional nerves.  There was no stuttering on the vows, unlike when Princess Diana married Prince Charles in 1981.  The whole service was simply perfect, with a highlight being when ‘Jerusalem’ belted out in the church.

     An hour later and ‘Crown Imperial’ played out as the couple returned from signing the registers in the private residence of St. Edward’s Chapel in the Abbey.  There was a clear seal of approval from the expectant crowd outside, as it managed to deafen out the loud chiming Westminster Bells.  They may have arrived in cars, but the trip back to Buckingham Palace was via the traditional transport in these occasions of horse and carriage.  There were an estimated 1 million people on the processional route from the Abbey to the Palace.  This was followed by some official photographs, lunch for 600 people courtesy of the Queen and then the traditional balcony appearance infront of the crowd outside The Mall.  The crowd got their wish as William and Kate kissed for the millions of people and the worldwide media.  If that wasn’t enough, they kissed again shortly afterwards in a fairytale moment. 

TREAT: The happy couple head back to Clarence House

     The final treat for the crowd was a real surprise, as William and Kate pulled out of the Palace gates after lunch.  William driving Prince Charles Aston Martin with ‘JUST WED’ on the license plate and an ‘L’ plate on the front of the car back to Clarence House for some brief respite this afternoon.  It was specially decorated by Prince Harry and other close members of the Royal Family.

     This was the day when a broad smile appeared on the nation and that is down to William and Kate.  They have given us the opportunity to share their happiness and with the scenes seen today, there seems to be clear genuine affection for the new Royal couple.  The weather was good as well and improved as the day went on, despite the initial forecasted showers.  As soon as the champagne began flowing on The Mall at 8am this morning, the party begun and it will continue long into the night and probably, throughout this extended Bank Holiday weekend.  All the doom and gloom of worldwide economic uncertainty, death in Afghanistan, conflicts in Libya and Syria and natural disasters that have devastated Brazil, New Zealand, Australia and Japan this year, it was so nice and fitting to see something jolly today.  The world watched this global event, with celebrations ranging from Australia and Paris, to Shanghai and Russian and American astronauts toasting their success on the International Space Station.  With an estimated TV audience of 2 billion worldwide, it is likely to be the biggest audience in TV history with only the 1966 World Cup final and the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 likely to rival that in the British audience stakes.  400 million are believed to have watched it live on YouTube!

CELEBRATION: Kate' hometown of Bucklebury salute their girl

    Across the country, there were thousands of parties held in celebration for the Royal Wedding.  Many streets closed on this national day of celebration.  The happiest places include St. Andrews University in Scotland, where William and Kate met as University students a decade ago and in Bucklebury – the hometown where Kate grew up.  Before today, Chris Tarrant was their only claim to fame.  Now they have the new Princess to take that mantelpiece.  William and Kate have travelled a long road since meeting at University, which has included a trying separation four years ago.  However, they now live together in Anglesey in Wales and although recent Royal marriages haven’t been very successful, there is real optimism that this is a marriage that will go the distance.  

     This was the perfect day and a special day that all of us will remember for generations to come.  Congratulations to William and Kate and thank you for giving us such a unique moment, I wish you a very happy, prosperous and successful future together.  

No longer with us. . .

ONE month to go until the start of a new year, but whilst a load of us our getting ready to celebrate the Christmas cheer, some famous faces are no longer with us.  Here is my tribute to those who sadly will not be around during the festive season. . .

Bill McLaren (Rugby Union commentator)           (Died on January 19, aged 86)

BILL McLaren was the voice of rugby union, commentating on some of the classic moments in the code’s history for over fifty years.  McLaren retired in 2003, and was awarded the CBE, OBE and MBE awards for his services to sport.

Alexander McQueen (British fashion designer)          (Died on February 11, aged 40)

HAILED as a modern-day genius, McQueen won the CBE and was names British Designer of the Year on four separate occasions.  His presence in the fashion industry has been greatly missed ever since.

Dick Francis (Thriller writer)                       (Died on Valentine’s Day, aged 89)

FRANCIS was the jockey who famously was onboard Devon Loach, when the horse collapsed yards from the finish line and victory in the 1956 Grand National.  Dick Francis went onto to write 42 novels, mainly of the horse racing genre and was acclaimed by many, as one of the greatest thriller writers of the world.

Kristian Digby (TV presenter)                     (Died on March 1, aged 32)

DIRECTED a number of TV programmes and won a junior BAFTA award in 1997 for his short film Words of Deception.  Digby was a property expert and he worked on a number of property developer shows, including House Swap and Living in the Sun.

Keith Alexander (Football manager)      (Died on March 3, aged 53)

ALEXANDER collapsed and died from a brain tumour shortly after managing Macclesfield in a League Two match at Notts County.  The popular manager was in charge of the Silkmen for two years, and also had management spells at Peterborough United and Lincoln City.

Michael Foot (Former Labour leader)    (Died on March 3, aged 96)

IN CHARGE of the Labour party for three years, Foot was a charismatic and funny politician, who liked to crack a few jokes.  He lost the 1983 General Election contest by a landslide to Margaret Thatcher.

Harry Carpenter (Former Boxing commentator)                (Died on March 20, aged 84)

Best known as the ‘voice of boxing,’ for BBC and ITV, Harry Carpenter carried a special torch for the British boxers, particularly Frank Bruno.  Who can forget; ‘He’s hurt Tyson, GET IN THERE FRANK!’  Boxing is a poorer place without Harry’s knowledge and love for the sport.

Malcolm McLaren (Punk rock pioneer)                  (Died on April 8, aged 64)

THE manager of the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren co-owned a Sex shop in Chelsea and had a fun and spectacular attitude towards lifestyle.  His life was never dull, going about with the punk rock behaviour that dominated music for a time in the UK.

Gerry Ryan (Broadcaster)                             (Died on April 30, aged 53)

HUGELY popular in his homeland, Gerry Ryan was often referred to being the individual who created talk radio in Ireland.  His controversial opinions on a variety of topics might land him in hot water, but he had his own show for two decades and was one of the most established figures on Irish TV.

Lynn Redgrave (Actress)                               (Died on May 2, aged 67)

AFTER a brave seven year battle against breast cancer, Lynn Redgrave succumbed to the illness in early May this year.  In a career that stretched over four decades, Redgrave’s acting career was a massive success, being nominated for two Emmys, two Oscars and a Grammy in her time.

Gary Coleman (Actor)                                    (Died on May 28, aged 42)

GARY Coleman achieved huge fame as a child actor on the US show Diff’rent Strokes for eight years.  When he left in 1986, his career started to slowly go downhill, but his impact will always remain.

Stuart Cable (Drummer)                               (Died on June 7, aged 40)

GROWING up in Wales, Cable was part of Welsh rock band the Stereophonics from their formation in 1992 until 2001.  Before his death, he presented a rock show on BBC Radio Wales.

Alex Higgins (Snooker player)                   (Died on July 24, aged 61)

ALEX ‘the Hurricane’ Higgins was one of the finest snooker players of his generation.  He won two world championships, but his problems with smoking and alcohol limited his overall success.  Higgins was banned in 1990 for threatening to have Dennis Taylor shot, and criticised the Snooker governing body on several separate occasions.  He passed away after a ten year battle with throat cancer.

Sir Cyril Smith (Politician)                            (Died on September 3, aged 82)

THE former Liberal Democrat MP for Rochdale, Sir Cyril Smith was another character who always had a lot of fun, both in his work and away from the House of Commons.  His outspoken manner made him one of the most well-known faces in British politics, winning a knighthood in 1988.

Sir Norman Wisdom (Comedian)             (Died on October 4, aged 95)

STARRING in 32 sitcoms and 19 films, Sir Norman Wisdom was a popular figure in England and in Albania, where he spent his later life.  Friends described Sir Norman as “a beloved comic genius,” passing away peacefully in a nursing home in the Isle of Man.

Solomon Burke (Soul singer)                      (Died on October 10, aged 70)

HE WAS described as the “best soul singer of all time, Burke started his soul career in 1960 and spent the next decade producing many classic hits.  Some of his music went onto star in movies, which made the former Grammy award winner even more of a household name.

Bernard Matthews (Multi-millionaire farmer)   (Died on November 25, aged 80)

BERNARD Matthews passed away last Thursday, having had a distinguished and largely successful career, despite some harder times in recent years.  Matthews became famous for his “bootiful” catchphrases in his TV advertising the 1980’s, and is credited for bringing cheap turkey masses to the public.

Gavin Blyth (TV Producer)                           (Died on November 27, aged 41)

GAVIN Blyth’s tragic death last week came after a short illness and was totally unexpected.  Having grown up as a journalist in Liverpool, Blyth moved into TV and had been the man responsible for turning around the fortunes of ITV soap Emmerdale since his appointment in the role last January.

ALL OF YOU WILL BE MISSED, RIP!

Fashion Industry: A Crippling Victim of the Recession

Last Friday saw the beginning of one of the biggest events on the fashion calendar, London Fashion Week.  However, the fashion industry is in dire straits, thanks to the recession, which has seen the collapse of many major fashion houses across the world.

Big names such as Escada and Luella Bartley have gone bust and the tragic death of Alexander McQueen only ten days ago has sparked a major cloud over such an established and glamorous event.  Fashion designer McQueen was found dead in his flat on Thursday 11^th February, with suicide the apparent cause of his untimely demise.  An inquest has already opened into his death, and liabilities of around £32million could well be found as a main cause for his suicide.  McQueen’s amazing fashion designs may have dazzled many for over a decade, but if his perilous financial state is eventually confirmed, then his legacy could sadly be tarnished by crippling debt.  For the short-term at least, he shall be remembered for the crazy designs which were worn by many, including Lady Gaga, who paid an emotional tribute to McQueen at last Tuesday’s BRIT awards.  Her emotion when collected her three awards showed how much she had been affected by the death.

Other fashion houses have already disappeared from the eyes of many in the public in the last 18 months, largely due to the recession.  People may think that MFI and Woolworths were the two biggest names to have been dissolved by the credit crunch, but those who are linked into the fashion industry would soundly disagree.  The French fashion house, Christian Lacroix is probably the biggest name to have gone bust.  It collapsed last year and although it was seen as a flamboyant and extravagant house, it never actually turned over a profit, reporting losses of between £5million & £10million before the start of the credit crunch.  Another name that disappeared and sadly missed is Hardy Amles.  Set-up way back in 1946 by Edwin Hardy Amles, his chain designed dresses for the dearly missed Diana, Princess of Wales and the strip for England’s 1966 World Cup football success.  However, in 2008 it went bust, and just twelve months later, so did Luella Bartley, which was the outlet often, in use by singer Lily Allen and Kate Moss.  Luella Bartley only started trading business at the turn of the millennium, but its longevity didn’t matter when its main investor withdrew financial backing, possibly aware of the problems the UK was about to suffer.  Bartley was highly recommended and was gaining a decent reputation in the British fashion industry, so her demise sent a ripple of shock and dismay through the whole industry.

London Fashion Week is bound to forget its troubles briefly for the coming days, as it will play hosts to outrageous designs and gorgeous models, but for how long is it going to remain glamorous and successful to the naked eye of the general public.  It is quite clear that the fashion industry has been severely dented by money trouble, just how long can it continue to be a driving success…it is unknown. 

Alexander McQueen, you will be missed by everyone, RIP.