Denno’s Wedding Trip
April 2003
Trip got off
to a quiet start, Davo, Frank and Derek meeting at airport with little drama.
Qantas,
stellar airline that they are were unable to seat the three Lads together at
check in, however this was rectified at the Qantas Club Lounge. Everyone was happy about this, with the
possible exception of Derek who, upon boarding, realized he had given up a
Business Class Seat in order to bump elbows with Frank.
Flight was
quite pleasant, made enjoyable by Derek and Frank taking the piss out of a
bizarre looking Qantas Steward, who had a hair style that reminded you of a runway. This was made even funnier, when Frank gave
Davo the proverbial elbow in the ribs to make him look at Runway Head walking
past, which Runway Head saw, and doubled back to ask Davo if he needed
something.
The stewards
were further antagonized by Davo politely yelling “hey” to get one’s attention.
The Lad’s
braved SARS infected
The long
haul flight from
Arriving in
The Lads
retired to the quietest Business Lounge in history, where not even elevator
music was present to interrupt you. One
could argue that Yahtzee is not the ideal game for
such a location, however we played anyway and Davo was victorious.
The flight
from
Groom to be Denno was at Heathrow to meet the Lads – amazingly we
managed to fit all four people and luggage (including Franks 5 bags) into the
Silver Bullet – Denno & Lou’s Volvo. It made for a tight trip, but after Qantas
Economy it was a walk in the park. It
was during this trip that Frank and Derek, perhaps suffering from acute travel
fatigue, elected Jan Captain of the Ushers.
It was back
to Denno’s flat for a quick clean up (or clean out in
Derek’s case) and then on to the Mason Arms for Lunch with the Ushers and the McVeys. Denno, usually a calm and cool character, set an early tone
by falling to pieces when the McVey’s arrived – particularly Graham. Fussing around nervously, he referred to
Graham as “Sir” on at least 3 occasions.
The last time Denno was heard using the word
“Sir” was when he was explaining his actions to a policeman.
Enough was
enough for Derek and Frank – they decided to head to the country for a couple
of days on farm. Frank was already
feeling claustrophobic in the big city and Derek wanted to suck up to his inlaws. The McVeys and Denno were all off to
Louise’s Confirmation, which left Davo, Jan and Brad Dare to find something to
do. This ended up being a low key trip
to the Walkabout Pub to watch the last session of
Jan made the
night interesting by trying to steal a cigarette from some guy’s pack while he
wasn’t looking, only to get busted. Jan,
far from being embarrassed, just stared the guy down. This brazen display of masculinity impressed
a few girls who were sniffing around Jan, but Jan still managed to shmarn later on.
After a
mildly late start which saw Davo and Dare both sleeping on the floor (Dare was
in the dog house!) it was off to the “Settle In” for lunch with Denno, Lou and some selected Dennett & James family
members. Denno
recommended the house specialty which resulted in everyone eating a whole baked
chicken each. From there it was on to
the Dennett family apartment to catch up with the rest of the Dennett clan,
including Lunatic Luke James. Everyone
enjoyed drinking Steve’s wine for a couple of hours, except Jan who got flogged
by Luke in the “Frogs game”.
Part of the crew at
the Settle in Sunday
Once the
wine ran out (or the Dennetts wised up and stopped
offering it), Denno, Davo, Jan and Mal departed to
find a pub that would be showing the cricket.
After traversing three quarters of
Yahtzee while watching the
cricket
Monday 21st April
Another
relatively early start was required when participants in the bucks show were
required to meet at Clapham Junction to catch the
10.00 train to
The crew gathers at Clapham Junction
Arriving in
Lunch at the All
American Diner
From there
it was on to “Demolition Paintball” for some good old fashioned shooting of
each other. As the groom, Denno was required to wear big pink ass cheeks, which
sometimes proved difficult to hide.
Despite some extremely suspect tactical advice by the hosts, a great
time was had by all. The worst injury
suffered appeared to be by Derek, who was the recipient of some accurate target
practice by Banker. Apparently in
Frank’s book, a minimum of 10 shots in the back are required to kill an
opponent
Paintballers..
Denno and his ass cheeks
Jan shows off one of
his paintballing injuries
After
hostilities had ended, it was a short walk down the road to the “Shaved Snatch”
for a few pints while waiting for taxis.
It was here that Jan was re-introduced to his old friend, the
purse. As Captain of the Ushers, he was
required to hold all kitty money for the rest of the night.
Relaxing at the
Shaved Snatch
Back at the
hotel, it was decided that the best way to fire everyone up was to engage in a couple
of Tequila roundhouses before heading out for dinner. Denno was
surprisingly reluctant, apparently forgetful that he forced Davo to drink an
entire bottle of Tequila at his buck’s night.
The Manager of the hotel took quite a fancy to Garry and went so far as
to ask which room he was in. Garry
responded by saying he might be interested if she were 40 years younger and
believed in dental hygiene.
Denno sampling his first
tequila
From there
it was on the Donatello’s Italian Restaurant, which
received positive reviews from everyone except Jan, who could not quite believe
that “Quattro Formagio” was actually just Pasta and
cheese. A few more roundhouse skulls of
beer were enjoyed by all, with the focus being on Denno. At this stage Denno
got a bit feisty and claimed that he was on the verge of being sick. Gareth Baker, apparently not aware that this
was the express purpose of the night, took pity on Denno
and escorted him to the Lady’s room so they could both powder their noses.
Denno looking bemused by
all the drinking…
A few of the Lads at
Donatellos
Denno, looking fine in
his pink Ralph Loren
Some chicks
at an adjoining table thought Denno looked like a
responsible sort, and after giving him some words of wisdom about marriage also
tried to give him her baby. Jan was
momentarily excited when he thought she had said “.. would you like me to have your baby”.
Some lady tries to
palm her baby off onto Denno.
From there
it was on to “The Honey Club” to continue festivities. Vast quantities of alcohol were consumed by
everyone except Banker. The favorite
drink appeared to be the Shark Splash – a mixture of vodka and Red Bull. No one is quite sure what the impact of
simultaneously ingesting a depressant and a stimulant are, but there were no immediate
side effects.
Denno got into the swing of things early
by dancing with a couple of Hens – Hens who were getting married to each
other! The evening also saw the rise of
James “Sluggo” Duggin as
the so called “Son of Jan”. Jan agreed
to tutor Sluggo on the finer points of nearly picking
up chicks.
Getting into the
swing of things early
The lesbian Hens
Is this some form of
funky dancing or what?
Two strangers taking
pity on the buck
Garry, Dennno, Dave (D-Mac) and Paul
Brad Dare, showing
that smoking IS cool
Nothing is
quite as impressive, or quite screams “Bucks Night” like a bunch of guys on the
stage in a circle with their arms around each other, singing “Sweet Child of
Mine”. The rest of the club’s patrons
were equally impressed.
Captain and Vice
Captain excitement, Frank and Derek
The Master and the
Apprentice
Denno and Davo doing some
stage dancing
Proceedings
were forced to end when the club closed, some time around
Surprisingly,
most of the Lads were up and about early with few ill effects. No-one was as impressive as Dave McIntosh,
who rose at
A full English
breakfast – just what the Doctor ordered
Denno, Frank, Derek and Davo stuck around
Pebble beaches and
the Brighton Pier
Lounging on the
Pier…
After
several relaxing hours, everyone except Derek jumped on the train back to
Back in
Wednesday
was very pleasant with Denno treating Davo and Jan to
game of golf in
Thursday saw
the end of relaxation and the start of wedding stress. Davo and Jan visited the Dennett family and
luckily arrived just in time to escort them across
A large
contingent met in Clapham Junction for drinks and
pleasant Italian meal. Denno once again demonstrated his propensity for acquiring
accents. Already developing a cultured
English clip, he put on a lovely italian
accent when ordering his meal. After
dinner, Jan walked past the Clapham Grand like an
alcoholic walks past an open bottle of scotch, but he resisted the strong urge
– perhaps taking comfort in the fact that he would be returning to his beloved
Metro in just a few days.
Just one day
to go before the big event, and still no respite for Denno,
who was perhaps the groom with the most responsibilities ever. All the lads met at Denno’s
around lunchtime and it was off to the church for an Usher’s meeting. Everything appeared to be too easy, and
Captain Jan showed early confidence.
The Usher’s Meeting
Following
this, the Ushers were dispatched to a bar while Davo and Denno
stuck around for the rehearsal. Once
again, everything was under control, except when the Canon pointed out there
was an open grate directly below were Davo would be
standing with the rings. Davo, who does not exactly have a stellar record when it comes to
handling rings, was suitably alarmed and requested that he swap positions with
the Denno on the day.
From there
it was off to, surprise surprise, another Italian
place for dinner. Despite repeated
warnings from Davo, Denno insisted on eating everything
on the menu that said “extra garlic”.
Garlic was on the
menu for Denno
Derek,
Banker, Davo and Denno retired back to the apartment
for a bit of relaxation, which entailed drinkning
very nice wine and watching some classy television – Jackass. This was by far the most excited Frank got
during the entire trip – apparently watchuing stupid
humans trying to hurt themselves appeals to his sense of humour.
An early
start was necessary and was rewarded by Derek cooking up a superb feast of
bacon sandwiches. With over 8 hours to
go before the wedding, the Lads relaxed and watched an Australian Classic – The
Dish. Denno
was perhaps the calmest he had been all week, belying the fact that he was on
the verge of taking the plunge. Getting
ready was an orderly affair, with the Lad’s looking resplendent in their West
Coast Eagle themed yellow waist coats and blue ties. Everyone was ready and an on time departure
was made. Jan and Davo dropped past the
Derek the Bacon Chef
The lads in various
states of readiness
Some last minute
speech preparation
Everyone
converged at the Lord Codswallop (aka Admiral Coddrington) for pre-wedding lunch including the MC, Steven
“Shaq” Jagusch. Steven wisely advised Denno
that he should call Louise to make sure she was still coming. A fine lunch was enjoyed, and Steven James
ensured everyone was refreshed by ordering at least one of every bottle of wine
off the menu.
Lunch at the Lord
Codswallop
Davo
marshaled the troops and had to deal with a few stragglers in order to get to
the church by
There was
another slight upset when the big red bus parked in front of the church – a
place he was explicitly forbidden from by Denno and
Louise. Apparently the driver had just
narrowly avoided being arrested for driving in the wrong part of town and saw
this as his only option. Needless to
say, he didn’t take too kindly to Denno’s polite
advice to “get the f#$% out of there, but Usher Frank smoothed things over.
Louise and
Graham made a very impressive entrance, but were momentarily upstaged by Garry
and Nicole, who following them down the isle.
The ceremony was a fine affair, and Davo was safe as houses with the
rings. The Ushers proved their worth by
flawlessly executing the transfer of all guests from the Church to the
Louise and Graham
arrive at the church – moments before the REAL guests of Honour,
Garry and Nicole
The new Dennett’s
and the old McVeys
The Dennetts – new and old
One of the
great traditions of English Weddings is the apparent extended pre-reception
drinks session. Everyone was given a
full two hours to get fully liquored up, while listening to the pleasant sound
of a Carpenters cover band. Amongst
other things, Denno’s taste in music has softened.
The
reception was a grand occasion, partly diminished by having a Kiwi MC. The ladies were all greatly relived when Marageret finally removed her hat, and Davo and Denno were forced to wait about 4 hours before they could
make their speeches, but both went off without a hitch. Denno was
impressive in performing the bridal waltz, although close inspection showed
that he was counting under his breath.
Cutting of the cake
Its all smiles now
that official duties are finished..
Jan was once
again on the prowl and must have liked his chances, because he was even dancing
at one stage. He was, however, upstaged
by his new protégé James “Son of Jan” Duggin who
snared one of the girls sitting next to Jan.
Jan the groove dog
The happy couple
A
spectacular exit was made by the new Mr & Mrs Dennett under a veil of sparklers, overshadowed only by
Tony catching the bouquet. The
Dennett’s pulled a swift one by driving away in a car, only to return to the
Royal Suite at the
Tony catches the
bouquet
The apprentice…
..and
the Master
The wedding
kicked on for another hour or so, and the lads sampled everything the
Everyone
sampled the Dennett’s booze, and the party kicked on until daylight. Derek , who was wearing underpants for only
the second time in 10 days, decided he should make the most of it, and stripped
from his suit until he was wearing nothing but.
Sluggo, Esme and Frank back at the Dennett’s
Jo relaxes with some
of the Dennett’s finest champagne
Derek shows off his
only underwear
Son of Jan
looked like he had the sure thing, but falling asleep on the couch can not have
helped his chances. In true Jan like
fashion, he received the ultimate shmarn when he
tried to alight from the taxi with Esme at her
place. He was advised in no uncertain
terms that he “was not getting out here!”
Yet another
early start was made by the Lads, despite the “early” finish. Bags were packed, dishes were done, the flat
was cleaned and presents were left.
Everyone was downstairs waiting for a taxi when Derek decided it was
time to return to the Dennett’s toilet and leave one further token of his stay.
From there
it was on to Kensington, where the last official duty of Best Man Davo was to
shepherd the masses onto a bus for transportation to the McVey’s country
castle. Not so surprisingly, Garry and
Nicole were last to arrive, but an on time departure was still achieved. 50 minutes negotiating
Croquet,
lounging on the rugs, and sipping wine was the order of the day. Snacks were plentiful,
however Derek was extremely disappointed with the absence of Pigs in Blankets
and party pies. Sensational weather was
enjoyed for a time, until true to
Lunch at
A bit of croquet
..and
some lounging around
Denno was wearing a Polo Ralph Loren shirt
again, which meant that for the entire week, with the exception of the wedding
day, he had been attired in the same brand.
“Ralph” was now an acceptable substitute for “Denno”
The
The arrival
of buses and taxes marked the official close of Dennett - McVey ceremonies, and
a tearful farewell was made be many.
Derek, Banker, Davo and Jan caught a taxi to Heathrow and once again
adjourned to the club lounge. A game of
pairs Euchre was played, and Davo and Jan would have romped, except Jan failed
to win even a single trick. Jan departed
for
Davo once
again slept most of the journey, but woke just in time to watch a crap movie
called “The Hot Chick”
Monday night
in
After a late
night, everyone was keen for a sleep in, that is
everyone except Derek and Frank, which left just Davo. Derek was out of bed like a shot when he
realized he might miss out on free breakfast, and he was hitting the breakfast
buffet before you could say PatPong. Davo and Frank joined Derek in the restaurant
just in time for Derek to leave his indelible mark in their toilets.
Returning to
the room to prepare for a full day, a mysterious mark was discovered on Derek’s
sheets. No explanation was requested or
offered but doubts still exist as to its origin. From their it was a big day of shopping –
The Lads took
the afternoon for themselves and agreed to meet again
at
Another fine
evening was enjoyed – a particularly good restaurant choice by Derek was a
highlight. Frank received lots of
attention from the Thai girls, however it could not be
determined whether it was his mysterious good looks or the fact that he was not
wearing a wedding ring. The lads tried
to kick on at the hotel bar, but in a
Wednesday
morning was like Groundhog Day - Derek was once again up early for breakfast (prompting
Davo to ask “Where’s the f#$ken fire?”), and even
repeated his dumping in the restaurant toilets.
Last minute
shopping and packing were completed before heading for the airport and the
final flight home. Frank and Derek were
quarantined at