Simon & Mary's guestbook

Firstly I’d like to congratulate Simon and Mary on the day of their marriage and wish them nothing but continued and deepening happiness together.I also think asking a twice-divorced man to be his Best Man shows something of Simon’s cast-iron nerve ☺ Next I’d like to thank all those who have helped bring today off, including but not limited to:Robert, Simon’s brother who is your Master of Ceremonies and ToastmasterThe radiant Chief Bridesmaid TanyaOur formidable ushers Moz, Pete, Charlie and Feorag all of whom ushed superblyElinor our readerWendy our minstrelMark and Anna Patrick the Caterer!I was looking for some sort of movie tie in for today and being Best Man I thought a natural was Lord of the Rings. (groans). But looking around at the assembled audience here, I think I have to say the movie title that springs to mind is: Their Big Fat Geek Wedding !Like many people here, I knew Simon and Mary long before I met themWe first encountered each other about six miles due south of here, inside a beige box the size of a fridgeCIX, a conferencing system which grew out of the Bulletin Board scene We’d all been members of the same discussion conferences for years and it wasn’t until the regular Second Tuesday meetings at the Lamb in Lamb’s Conduit Street that I finally met them face to faceAnd that seems to be continuing a pattern for our happy couple, as they too first met onlineNot in a fridge in Surbiton, but in a virtual pub – the Usenet newsgroup alt.callahans. I’ll let Mary tell it in her own words:Simon and I were both living in Bath when we actually met, but we met on the net before such things were fashionable. In a virtual bar -alt.callahans - where a few years before I'd seen his terrible shaggy dog stories, in fact I told the what horta bottle joke a few times myself. So when I saw him talking about bus lanes and the bus lane on the road past my house I joined in and raised the stakes to pedestrian crossings. He suggested we meet up - I thought he was asking me out for a drink, he thought he had a warm body for his science fiction group. It's the fact that we met the same day and we were both the age, gender and species we'd claimed that has always stopped newspapers and TV and radio shows who'd been told about a met on the net couple from finding us newsworthy! When we met that night, he had a horrible cough ;-) I had to go home early to watch the Prisoner and he offered me a lift – that meant everyone had to go home because he was giving them all a lift! I lent him comics. He asked me up to see his library and offered me banana flavoured instant hot chocolate and fried onions in a box so I've been working on his palate ever since! I invited him to a Robin Williams concert at a pub. He took me to Hay on Wye. It's beer and books and technology all the way really!I have to agree with Mary, and a comment from someone that can’t be here today, that I can’t think of two people who are more suited to be together. For example, the only time I have ever seen them raise their voices to each other was when arguing about Digital Rights Management!Simon and I worked together at the late lamented scient.com – in fact it was Simon who lured me from my nice retirement home by the Cam to the life on Internet Time in the dotcom world. We were a formidable team at Scient; before I joined, the stock price was already down from 120 dollars to 75, but between us we got it all the way down to 12 cents before NASDAQ noticed and delisted the company!We even worked as a team right till the end. One day we’d been for lunch with Alan and went back to our respective cubicles. Within minutes Simon posted to our favourite IRC channel that he’d been laid off. I rattled out a quick message of disbelief, saying that I had heard nothing about the layoffs, which was most odd because as head of IT I would naturally be notified of all impending account closures.Then my telephone rang! (It was my Boss, calling from New York, telling me I too was a former employee).Now I’d like to give others a chance to wish Simon and Mary well. Instead of the traditional telegrams, here’s a selection of emails from people who couldn’t be here today (see other telegrams in the Memories section) Simon P

Hi Mr & Mrs Bisson,Happy New Year and what a coincidence! My wife (Lisa) and I got married at Cambridge Cottage in June this year. Looks like we had about as much fun as you did judging from the pictures. Congratulations and hope to see you sometime this year,All the best,Justin

Congratulations! I couldn't think of a more deserving couple to have this opportunity to share the rest of their lives together! May you endure intense happiness, much love and a fabulous future together.

best wishes from across the pond... sue

Just to say thanks for a lovely day and being part of it was very special. Wishing you both happiness always. Ruth

What a wonderful wedding - for you and us, your guests, who were delighted to share it with you. May the rest of your lives be as happy as your special day.

Much love Sonia

http://www.natalieford.com/Photos/sandm-wedding/

(rather than upload them all to this site)

;-)

May you have a wonderful life together. T'was a wonderful wedding -- full of creativity and flair and an overflowing of good feelings and good people all together made it all the more memorable. Heady stuff but proof that there is plenty of light in this world. We just have to make it for ourselves that's all.

Hope you had a great day, hair looks fab!

I thoroughly enjoyed being one of your bridesmaids. May the rest of your life together be as fabulous and happy as your wedding day :-)

... on your marriage. Happiness to you both!