The timing of this visit was all to do with the wedding of Claire and Jonathan’s eldest daughter, Marie-Anne, and Kabir. We arrived with plenty of time to spare, so the days were filled with Dorset walks and Stretch hospitality.

The coast path on a misty day

This walk takes you past old limestone quarries right on the coast and ends in the Square & Compass pub (well, it did for us anyway). The pub is a fabulous old place. Even though there is hardly any space inside, one room is set up as a museum with an eclectic collection of local artefacts and fossils.

Studland beach on a sunny day

Entertainment at Stretch Manor

Gatecrashers at our peaceful lunch

To be fair one of the gatecrashers was Kab who had kindly offered to come and collect us from Lake Yard marina restaurant in Pool Harbour. The remaining intruders were Andy and his son Will who were ‘helping’ Sean test drive a boat he had recently bought. Nigel couldn’t resist going home with them and so getting a high speed trip across the harbour and up Wareham river.

The main event

The wedding of Marie-Anne and Kabir was the main reason for our visit to Dorset this year.

Midsummer day was perfect. Glorious weather and beautiful locations , both the church – Priory Church of Lady Saint Mary in Wareham – and the wedding venue- Kingston Country Courtyard.


Kab was dressed in traditional Sikh attire, for which he had grown a suitably bushy beard, Marie-Anne in traditional white. After the church service we saw a dress reversal. Marie-Anne donned an Indian lehenga to match her bridesmaids and Kab shaved his beard and switched to a suit to match the groomsmen.

A surprise guest

Changes to Daniel’s deployment in Bahrain meant that he was able to make it to the wedding but only after clocking up some serious air miles. The Navy insisted that he return to New Zealand rather fly direct to the UK. So after flying from Bahrain to NZ he repacked his bag and returned to the UK, arriving about two hours before the church service. His arrival was kept secret from Marie-Anne. Kab was part of the subterfuge, making fictitious changes to the seating plan so that Marie-Anne was completely unaware until she saw Dan as she walked down the aisle.

The stars of the show

Although the wedding was the main event, the children remained the star attractions. Sean and Amy-Jane’s son, Jaxon and Kab and Marie-Anne’s daughter, Adelaide were always the centre of attention with no shortage of devoted grandparents and doting aunties, uncles, granties and gruncles.