A Tale of Two Cakes

Most of you will remember, as I do, where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news of the assassination of JFK on 22nd November 1963 , the death of Elvis on 16th August 1977 and the shooting of John Lennon on 8th December 1980. The older among you will also probably remember, as I do, watching the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2nd 1953 on a small screen black and white TV in the rich family’s’ house along with a room full of neighbours.

It is extremely unlikely, though, that any of you, with the exception of my best man David, will remember where you were and what you were doing exactly 50 years ago today at 1.45 pm on Saturday March 30th 1968.

David and I, having rushed from The Golden Lion where we had partaken of the “the one” to calm our nerves, were just sitting down in the front pew of St. Clements Parish Church, Ipswich, as Mendelssohn's Wedding March heralded the entrance of my beautiful wife to be and her father.

The wedding was originally planned to be held at St Johns’ Church, Felixstowe but the vicar wouldn’t conduct wedding ceremonies during lent so we decided on my family's church in Ipswich. 

The vicar, Rev. Canon F. Tucker-Harvey, was a quintessential old school eccentric and long standing season ticket holder at Portman Road infamous for his long rambling sermons which always featured at least one anecdote concerning his beloved Ipswich Town. We met him in his large office in the rectory to arrange the detail of the ceremony planned for 3.00 pm and were about to leave when he opened his desk draw, took out his ITFC fixture list and exclaimed, “Oh goodness me my dear people, would you mind terribly bringing the time forward to 1.45? The Town are at home on the 30th and that should give me just enough time to get changed and get to the ground!”.

The day itself passed without a hitch and along with the wedding days of our daughters Karen and Lorna and that magic day at Wembley in 1978 when Mick Mills lifted the FA Cup aloft after Ipswich had  beaten Arsenal 1 – 0, was the happiest day of my life.

Not much else of significance happened in the world that day -

The 122nd Grand National was won by Red Alligator ridden by Brian Fletcher

General Ludvik Svoboda was elected president of Czechoslovakia

Celine Marie Claudette Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada

Young Girl by Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett topped the US charts

and this song topped the UK Charts:

And, of course, the weather was much the same as it is today!

Hey Ho!