Advertisement
Published: August 3rd 2010
The Venue
Peterstone Court Llanhamlach Brecon
A magnificent Georgian house house on the banks of the River Usk and looking out to the Brecon Beacons, converted to a superb hotel....and with a great chefThis is not so much a travelblog as an event blog.
The 4th July is usually associated with American Independence Day, but now there is another reason to remember the date. Jenks and Jane were married on this day. And also, by happy chance, July 4th is when Jane's son Dave has his birthday: so it's a multiple celebration. All that cake !!
Jane had done the traditional wedding eve thing of staying away from the groom: in her own house with her good friend Ann-Marie Morgan (no relation) and partying with her son Dave, daughter-in-law Kim, granddaughter Rosie, daughter Caroline and future son-in-law Louis, and Kim's parents Pam and Trevor Burdett. Gareth and Liane stayed with me at the Chateau Jenks.
The wedding day began not too well with a heavy drizzle in Cardiff that got progressively worse in the mountains on the way towards the wedding venue at Peterstone Court near Brecon.
As the wedding was scheduled for 5pm Jane and her group went for lunch at the White Swan, a (really good) gastropub in Llanfrynach just across the River Usk from Peterstone Court.
I drove up to Brecon with my children, Liane and Gareth, and we stopped
Peterstone Court from 1,000 ft
Photo courtesy of Colin "Biggles" Butters (pilot) and Jenks the Lens (cameraman) for lunch at the Three Peaks Cuisine at Story Arms. It's actually a mobile sandwich bar sited in a car park at the foot of Pen y Fan, South Wales' highest mountain: not even a cafe, let alone a restaurant. However, the Three Peaks Cuisine just happens to make the best bacon butties ever, so it was a special treat for me and my children; although being huddled under the awning to avoid the heavy drizzle was not particularly enjoyable. Anyway, I don't think that I could have managed a full Sunday lunch so the bacon butties were just right despite the weather.
Fortunately, the weather improved on the Brecon side of the mountains, and continued to improve during the remainder of the afternoon and by the evening the weather was fine and clear.
Everyone, including the bride, showed up on time and the wedding got under way conducted by Mrs Cheryl King, the Superintendent Registrar for the County of Powys who did a marvellous job: very warm and genuine.
Then it was on to the terrace for champagne and photos, and to enjoy the great view of the Brecon Beacons. This was followed by dinner: Salmon Gravlax, a magnificent
Beef Wellington (featuring best Welsh Black beef) followed by profiteroles and speeches: Dave Morgan on behalf of the Bride, and Rod Brinson recalling amusing and embarrassing events from our youth involving airgun fights and swiping cigarettes from our parents: not a totally misspent youth.
After a suitable pause dinner was followed by dancing and more merriment; so much so that we forgot about the cake. And so to bed.
A great day.
And everyone lived happily ever after.
ps there are 69 photos with this blog. These can be enlarged by double-clicking on the photo.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.463s; Tpl: 0.025s; cc: 12; qc: 43; dbt: 0.1296s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 2;
; mem: 1.1mb
Richard Jenkins
non-member comment
The Wedding
Beautifully done and we all had a wonderful time. Congratulations and thanks to all involved for making it such a special occasion. Bride and Groom were fantastic and the blog is pretty good too!