I was 7 years old. I watched, at first with interest and then with increasing concern, as StompyDad bustled back and forth between the TV in the lounge room and the hi-fi in the 'family' room, trying to set up the ABC radio simulcast before the big event began: Prince Charles & Lady Di, the Royal wedding.
Meanwhile, my long-suffering mother was busy preparing dinner -- fish -- whilst trying to calm StompyDad before he got into a complete tizz. CutLuce, then my cute little sister, was somewhere about too... probably hiding from me -- her nasty big sister who hadn't gotten over being dethroned 5 years previously (a grudge I continued to hold for about another 20 years, really sorry about that sis) -- in case I pinched her again. No DesignerSis yet... still another 3 years to wait for her arrival.
I think I was quite excited about the wedding - after all, what little girl doesn't love the idea of seeing a real, live princess? Or maybe it was just that we were going to be allowed to eat whilst sitting in front of the TV and I would get to stay up late.
Eventually, Mum, CutLuce & I sat down to eat, while StompyDad continued to fuss about trying to get the radio tuned just-so and the aerial adjusted on the TV just-right, all the while getting more stressed.
Finally, after much stomping about, accompanied by much ranting, StompyDad joined us and sat down to eat. He began wolfing down great mouthfuls of his dinner whilst still complaining about the failings of the household technology to deliver perfect Royal wedding sound and vision.
Lady Di was still in her carriage on the way to the church, waving demurely. She hadn't even had the chance to show off her 25ft train yet, when StompyDad was on his feet again. This time not yelling but coughing, gagging and spitting a mouthful of fish and vegies back out onto his plate.
Eventually, mum worked out what had happened - he had got a fish bone stuck in his throat.
"Bread! Bread!" a panicked StompyDad demanded.
"I need it to help swallow down the bone."
He raced to the kitchen and proceeded to wolf down great hunks of bread.
But the fish bone was tenacious.
I don't remember very clearly what happened next with the fish bone, but I do remember getting to watch the rest of the wedding, so I think that StompyDad went over the road to see DoctorH our neighbour and friend, who was also, conveniently, a GP. When he returned some time later, having missed the Royal wedding ceremony (and there was no catching up later on iView; in those days we didn't even have a VCR!), the fish bone was still firmly in place. DoctorH needed special equipment to get that bony morsel out and had told StompyDad to come to the clinic the next morning.
Anyway, here I am, thirty years later, bitterly disappointed that I cannot watch The Chaser's commentary of today's Royal wedding (and as a result not-watching the Will & Kate Royal wedding at all). But guess what? We had fish for dinner: smoked salmon with pasta, and pulled it off without a single fish-bone mishap. Phew.
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Comments posted to the Facebook RRS feed of this blog entry; re-posted here to keep them together with original blog entry:
ReplyDeleteBH: I remember all my family sitting in front of the tellie in picnic chairs, (don't ask me why we didn't just sit on the usual couch and arm chairs.) As it all began I came down with gastro and whilst my family ate 'fun' food, I was given a salada biscuit to munch on. I was allowed to stay up long enough to watch Diana walk down the eisle and then was sent to bed to recover...I always thought that I had missed out untill tonight when I was unfortunate enough to see 30 mins of the wedding and now I am content that I missed out but would like my 30mins from tonight back.
KF: Very funny stories guys, you had me laughing out loud!!!.... I can imagine Roger fussing about the TV too :) I missed the whole thing today, was too busy looking at a houses for sale... I have no memories of Charles & Diana's wedding either :( Must've missed that one too! I seem to miss all the exciting moments!