CAPÍTULO 7 – UNA BODA MEMORABLE CHAPTER 7 - A MEMORABLE WEDDING

 

1927 comenzaba lleno de ilusiones y proyectos. La boda, que en principio deseaban celebrar en primavera, no hubo más remedio que posponerla para final del verano, que fue inusual. Acostumbrados como estaban a sus veraneos en Algeciras, pasar la temporada estival en Stampton Hills no era lo acostumbrado en la familia Hopkins. Sin embargo, en esta ocasión había un buen motivo como eran todos los preparativos que requería todo lo concerniente a la boda. En la finca familiar todo era un incesante ir y venir de modistas, floristas, cocineros… Para los vecinos de la tranquila aldea de Longdown todo aquello les resultaba curioso y extremadamente entretenido.

Tanto John como Margot deseaban celebrar una pequeña ceremonia en la diminuta capilla dentro de la propiedad familiar de Stampton Hills, pero la lista de invitados se iba haciendo interminable y tendrían que celebrarla en otro lugar, con suerte, podrían entrar en la pequeña iglesia de Saint John, en Longdown.

Entre los invitados no habrían de faltar los que John llamaba cariñosamente “mi familia algecireña” formada por los Smith y los Churchill-Bassadone, los tíos y primos Hopkins junto algún pariente de Claire, éstos más por protocolo social que por ganas, y no se podían olvidar del primo Winston con su mujer e hijos, después de todo, tenían que agradecer el magnífico destino otorgado en pleno centro de Londres, aunque John no podía evitar culparle del fallecimiento de su padre.

Fuera como fuera, aquella “pequeña y sencilla ceremonia” acabaría por convertirse en el gran evento de la pequeña población de Longdown. El convite se celebraría en la casa familiar de los Hopkins y tendrían que contratar personal entre los habitantes del pueblo e incluso de la cercana Exeter.

Los invitados algecireños comenzaron a llegar casi dos semanas antes de la ceremonia. Vinieron todos excepto Mrs. Emily Churchill que, aunque no era muy mayor, sí tenía muchos achaques y no habría soportado el largo viaje, ni en tren ni en barco, de Algeciras a Devon. La familia Smith al completo y los Churchill-Bassadone pudieron alojarse en la casa de la familia Hopkins. Estarían apretados, pero nadie quería perderse disfrutar de los últimos días del verano inglés en las verdes colinas de Stampton Hills. Claire había ofrecido también la casa de Londres, pero nadie quiso alojarse tan lejos del meollo de la fiesta. 

 

 1927 began with a lot of hope and plans. The wedding, which they had originally wanted to celebrate in the spring, had to be postponed until the end of the summer, which was unusual. Accustomed as they were to their summer holidays in Algeciras, spending the summer season in Stampton Hills was not the norm for the Hopkins family. However, on this occasion there was a good reason, as it was all the preparations required for everything related to the wedding. On the family estate everything was a constant coming and going of dressmakers, florists, cooks… For the neighbours of the quiet village of Longdown, everything was curious and extremely entertaining. 

Both John and Margot wanted to celebrate a small ceremony in the tiny chapel within the family property of Stampton Hills, but the guest list was becoming endless and they would have to celebrate it somewhere else, with luck, they would be able to enter the small church of Saint John, in Longdown. 

 Among the guests there were those whom John affectionately called “my Algeciras family” made up of the Smiths and the Churchill-Bassadones, the Hopkins uncles and cousins ​​together with some of Claire’s relatives, the latter more out of social protocol than out of desire, and they could not forget cousin Winston with his wife and children, after all, they had to be grateful for the magnificent destination granted them in the heart of London, although John could not help blaming him for the death of his father. 

 Whatever the case, that “small and simple ceremony” would end up becoming the great event of the small town of Longdown. The banquet would be held in the Hopkins family home and they would have to hire staff from among the inhabitants of the town and even from nearby Exeter. 

The Algeciras guests began to arrive almost two weeks before the ceremony. They all came except Mrs. Emily Churchill who, although she was not very old, did have many ailments and would not have endured the long journey, either by train or by boat, from Algeciras to Devon. The entire Smith family and the Churchill-Bassadones were able to stay at the Hopkins family home. It would be a tight squeeze, but no one wanted to miss out on enjoying the last days of the English summer on the green hills of Stampton Hills. Claire had also offered the house in London, but no one wanted to stay so far from the heart of the party.