On Friday night, we rode the bus the 2 miles to Oxford City Centre to Brown's Restaurant. The place was busy and got busier as we ate. We arrived early; 7 pm. Many restaurants don't open until 6 or 7 and 8-9 pm seem to be prime eating hours. Lori felt under-dressed as most of the female patrons were in dresses and heels or boots. I didn't feel under-dressed because most men were more casual in oxford shirts. I had a steak, Lori had stuffed peppers, and Matthew had fancy mac & cheese. Delicious!
Saturday morning, we started on our 2.5 hour trip north to Sheffield for the wedding of my co-worker, Rakesh. The wedding was held at Sheffield Town Hall with a reception at a nearby hotel where we had reservations. We met many relatives of Mary, the bride, some of who traveled from India to attend the wedding. After many photos, the civil ceremony was brief but the official explained both the moral and legal obligations of marriage. Once she pronounced the couple husband and wife, Rakesh had the biggest smile I have ever seen that lasted until we said goodnight after the reception.
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| Town Hall. |
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| The very happy couple. |
The reception was held in the restaurant area of the Rutland Hotel. Rakesh managed to get all of the guests on the dance floor; no small feat considering half of the guests were reserved Brits. Mary's family members were excellent hosts / hostesses. I think all of them, male and female, were medical doctors.
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| The groom with the young men. |
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| A rose (the bride) between... |
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| The other happy couple. It was our anniversary too. |
We stayed at the Rutland Hotel. The hotel is a conglomeration of 3-4 old homes connected by bridges and walkways. The floors in the hall were creaky and uneven. Our room had 4 steps down to a landing next to which was our shower room. The staff was friendly, the room clean and comfortable, and the full English breakfast was delicious (we skipped the black pudding again though).
Sunday, on the way home, we discovered we were near the city Nottingham and Sherwood Forest, home of Robin Hood. We drove to the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre and explored the preserved section of the forest. The stories of Robin and his men state that he lived among the large oaks and, wow, we found some huge oaks! The visitor centre had a free movie about Robin and the forest, a series of dioramas to walk through, and several shops. The weather was cool but comfortable for walking. Many people were out in their wool and wellies, walking about; many with their dogs. We saw several labs that made us think of, and miss, our chocolate lab, Fudge.
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| Lori, Matthew and a giant oak. Some people believe that this tree is 1000+ years old. |
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Yes, Matthew got another hat.
Is the real Robin Hood in the foreground or background? |
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| The major oak story. |
After Sherwood, we needed tea! Fortunately, Lori's favorite tea rooms, Thomas Oken, in Warwick, was along the route home.
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| English breakfast tea with milk, giant scone, clotted cream, and jelly - yum. |
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