The village of Easingwold in North Yorkshire was the setting for the wedding of David Leese and Holly Webster on a breezy May afternoon. David and Holly had known each other since primary school days at Easingwold, when Holly once con ded to a friend that she would one day marry David. At secondary school they began dating, and once David learned to drive they enjoyed many trips to the Lake District together, always taking a photograph of themselves on top of a rock in Ambleside. It was here that David proposed to Holly in December 2013.David and Holly both learned to ring at Easingwold, and after university (David at Durham, Holly at Newcastle) they moved to York and became popular and capable members of the Minster band. Away from ringing, they both run for York Knavesmire Harriers. David enjoys running marathons with a best time of under three hours; he can often be found at the top of the Tailenders parkrunning leaderboard, although it has been pointed out that he only needs one stride to get from the start to the nish. Holly’s artistic talents as a graphic designer were on display on the wedding, of which more later.
The celebrations began with a peal at Easingwold on the eve of the wedding, the band consisting of York Minster and Easingwold ringers and including David’s brother Michael, while other ringers helped to pitch tents for some of the more intrepid wedding guests.
The rain held off as guests arrived at the fteenth century church on Saturday, 2nd May, though it was de nitely a day to hang onto one’s hat. The bride entered the church to Pachelbel’s Canon and looked radiant in a 1920s style oor length lace dress with pearl art deco detail. The dress had a puddle train and she wore a set of pearls and matching earrings bought for the day by her father. The service was conducted by Revd Chris Ellis, and ringers were heavily involved, with ringing before and afterwards by friends of David and Holly, a touch of Littleport Little Surprise Royal on handbells by Peter Sanderson, David Hull, Johny Stokoe, Matt and Jessica Durham during the signing of the register, Kris King playing the organ and Michael Leese reading a lesson. The new Mr and Mrs Leese left the church to Verdi’s Grand March, and guests departed for Thornton Lodge Farm, but not before they had been treated to the sight of the couple driving off in an open-top Audi. In fact, the word “driving” scarcely conveys the drama of the moment, as David, taken aback by the car’s acceleration, looked terri ed while Holly, clearly thrilled, waved her owers towards bystanders.
The reception was held in a large tepee which was beautifully decked with ivy plant hangers, fairy lights, love heart candies and an incredible hanging chandelier made from 1,000 carefully folded origami cranes which David and Holly had started folding at about Christmas, later enlisting the help of bridesmaids and friends. Holly’s father Steve is a ten times world motorbike sidecar racing champion, and he had lent some of his glass trophies to be used as candle holders on the tables. Each of the tables in lieu of favours was dedicated to a charity which was chosen with the guests on the table in mind, and money had been donated – a reflection on the kind and generous nature of the couple. The catering was by Filmore and Union in York: beautifully catered salad and vegetarian based foods, which set the guests up for some boogieing later on, as well as a sumptuous three-tiered cake.
The speeches were tear-jerking and told the story from Holly’s rst meeting with David to their marriage. The bride’s father touchingly told of the notes which Holly wrote to her parents as a young girl; the groom combined his thanks to the bride’s family with a statistical analysis of the guests’ names; chief bridesmaid Rachel Bambury described Holly as the sister she never had and ended with a moving passage about love from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin; and Chris Smith gave the traditional best man’s description of his adventures during his long friendship with the groom, although further details are better left unprinted.
It was now time for the rst dance: when the Holly and David combo get together they really do things properly. No slow dance shuf e here: there was a choreographed dance which they had learnt, including spins, lifts, complicated footwork and lots of smiling. It was a very joyful dance together, and we trust this set the scene for their marriage.
On the campsite the following morning, Helen Green and Matthew Illman, soon themselves to be married, catered for the masses of hungover guests in the pouring rain with full camping regalia. So professional were they that many thought they were the official caterers and asked for their business card, and were duly invited to attend summer scout camps!
The couple honeymooned in Tenerife, where they enjoyed walking to a local shing village and eating good food, although a boating trip was less successful. The guests were left with heart-warming memories and wish David and Holly a long and happy life together.
written by ALICE LONGDEN and PETER HUGHES and published in the Ringing World Sep 25th 2015
A peal to mark the occasion is listed below, and quarters are listed on www.bb.ringingworld.co.uk
YORKSHIRE ASSN
EASINGWOLD, N Yorks,
St John the Baptist & All Saints Fri May 1 2015 2h52 (9)
5056 Cambridge S Major Comp. C Middleton
(Johnson’s Var)
1 Jonathan J F Stokoe
2 Helen E Green
3 Sophie E Palmer
4 Michael F Leese
5 Arthur Rogers
6 Peter D Hughes (C)
7 James A Sanderson
8 Peter J Sanderson
With best wishes to David Leese and Holly Webster of the York Minster band on the eve of their wedding at this church.
