Permit me if you will, to get a touch misty-eyed and a little bit schmaltzy. Romantic even. For, as a creative person, I do have romance within me and I’d like to take the opportunity to let it gush forth for this blog post.

Exactly five years ago today, I became lawfully wedded to the woman I adore and my life couldn’t be any better.

But, of course, I keep asking myself that oft repeated question – where has the time gone?

It was quite the most brilliant, wacky, quirky wedding you could imagine, but then, Ange and I never do anything by the book.

It was a registry office do and we chose Real Love by Tom Odell and Louis Armstrong’s All The Time In The World as our music. My great friend Kenny was my sort of unofficial best man and he got me there on time. Top bloke is our Kenny.

My beautiful bride looked… well… beautiful, and I was as dapper as I’ve looked in a very long time. But the overall theme for our guests was to keep it cool and rock ‘n’ roll, so nobody was over-dressed for the occasion.

Photos were taken at the boatyard where we were living at the time on our old wide-beam barge – Walrus. I know a boatyard doesn’t sound like the most picturesque venue for wedding photos but trust me, it was. The weather was incredible for October as well and added a certain joie de vivre to the already happy atmosphere.

We had our wedding breakfast at the local carvery and no-one went hungry as a result. There was strong drink aplenty and good cheer all round.

Then it was party time!

We didn’t have a cake but instead a huge cake stand full of 150 Crispy Kreme donuts, which went down a treat with the younger attendees. And let’s face it, who wants a heavy old lump of fruit cake at a celebration. I mean, I do love a nice bit fruit cake, just not at weddings. So donuts seemed like a lighter and more fun filled option for us.

We had a live local rock band – Sawdust, playing two sets of classic rock tunes and the dance floor was rarely empty save for when they took a break so we could serve up the food, which was three huge pans of curry from our favourite restaurant; Cardamon, in Bingley. We also laid on pie and peas for those who didn’t like spicy food and yes, one of the curries was a vegetarian option; before you ask.

We paid for a professional massage therapist to provide free massages for the guests and rather than one of those photo booth things that you see nowadays, our excellent friends Carl and Karen provided an instamatic camera and a load of films so that people could capture the event for posterity.

And as our guests left the party they were each presented with a little gift – a cactus! I don’t know why cactuses in particular. It was Becky’s idea and everyone seemed genuinely pleased to get one.

So you see, a most unusual wedding but one that people have long remembered.

That was five years ago and I can scarcely believe it. It’s almost as if I’ve still got the buzz from it at times and can you believe we’ve still got our Just Married felt bunting hanging up. Well, it seems such a shame to take it down.

 We’ve moved home four times in those five years, having now settled in Settle! But home is where the heart is they say and my heart has always been where my lovely Ange is. We won’t be moving again any time soon though.

So much has happened since that happy day and, like all married couples, there have ben ups and downs, although the ups have far outweighed the downs by a considerable margin. It’s been good dear listener. Bloody marvellous in fact and I’m a happy man whereas for much of my life that wasn’t the case.

I was 52 and Ange was 58 when we married so I guess it’s true, it’s never too late. Be it getting married or whatever takes your fancy. If you’ve got something burning away inside you then let it out. Write that book, climb that mountain, sing that song, travel that road. Be what you want to be.

A psychologist once said to me, ‘If you’re not happy then you should do whatever you can to change it.’ Well I did. I met the most wonderful lady and moved in with her. There isn’t a day goes by that we don’t laugh like naughty schoolkids together and I am proud to be seen with Ange by my side.

I’m sure she feels the same!

I hope!

Nah! I’m sure.

So here’s to the last five years and also to the next five. If we’re all still here and alive by then I’ll write another blog post about it. And no doubt I’ll be asking myself, once again, where has the time gone?

Thanks for allowing me to gush.

I’ll be back to being an old curmudgeon next week.