Christmas with the Shipyard Girls

by Nancy Revell

  All of a sudden, the church seemed to go quiet.

  There was a general rustling sound as people started to shuffle around in their seats.

  ‘I think she’s just about to arrive,’ Rosie whispered to Charlotte.

  They both craned their necks, as did everyone else now seated in the church.

  There were audible gasps when the sunlight from one of the stained-glass windows fell on Polly as she came through the main entrance, followed by Arthur and George.

  George broke away and hobbled down the side of the church to take his place next to Lily, who was watching his approach with a proud smile on her face. Rosie thought George looked self-conscious in his uniform.

  Bel, who had been perched on the back pew, her eyes trained on the entrance, hurried over to Polly and made her stand still as she circled her, arranging her veil from behind, and then from the front.

  Next to Polly, in the partial sunlight, was Arthur, nervously pulling at his cuffs, looking very dapper and also very proud.

  Rosie caught Polly smiling nervously at her matron of honour, before Bel moved aside and allowed Arthur to step forward and offer the bride his arm.

  Bel quickly returned to her pew and ushered Lucille and Hope into position behind the bride, giving them both a quick kiss and a reassuring smile as she took her own position at the rear.

  A few moments later the first notes of the organ vibrated through the church, and the sound of Wagner’s ‘Bridal Chorus’ filled the air.

  Tommy was staring at Polly.

  She looked unbelievably gorgeous. Radiant.

  Her hair loosely piled high reminded him of a Greek goddess.

  Her long, flowing ivory dress was like something you saw in the movies. Even her veil seemed to sparkle.

  Tommy felt spellbound as he watched Polly walk slowly down the aisle.

  Dragging his gaze away from his bride, Tommy looked at Arthur. He had been like a father to him, and to Polly too.

  Here were the two people he loved most in this world.

  Watching Polly moving towards him, the words of Mrs Reid suddenly came to mind.

  If anything were to happen to you, she’ll need a part of you to keep her going.

  He hoped there might soon be three people he loved more than anything in this world.

  Tommy smiled at Polly as she finally reached him.

  ‘Gorgeous,’ he said, shaking his head, still mesmerised.

  The vicar cleared his throat, looked out at the packed pews and began the ceremony. A wedding that had ended up being rather beneficial for all parties involved. He glanced briefly up to the wooden beams of the ceiling, smiled and began.

  ‘Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Thomas Watts and Pollyanna Henrietta Elliot.’

  As Polly stood next to Tommy, she took hold of his hand. She couldn’t remember what had been said in the rehearsal and if they were ‘allowed’ to do so, but feeling the tightness of Tommy’s grip, it was clear he was not going to let go.

  They stood and listened to the vicar as he made his address to them as a couple and to the congregation, talking about the gift of marriage and how this day was a celebration of their love.

  Polly tried to focus on everything that was being said, so determined was she to remember every moment of this day, but all she could think about was the feel of Tommy’s hand on her own and the beating of her heart as she occasionally took a sidelong glance at her future husband, who looked incredibly handsome in his Royal Navy uniform.

  When the first hymn was announced and the whole congregation started singing ‘Make me a Channel of Your Peace’, she felt Tommy squeeze her hand. She had told him it had been her favourite as a child; now, as an adult, it was the words she loved as much, if not more, than the music.

  After the hymn, Reverend Winsey waited until everyone had sat down before he asked, ‘First, I am required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now.’

  There were the usual smiles, chuckles and coughs before he looked at Polly and Tommy and asked if either of them knew of a reason they might not lawfully marry.

  ‘If so, you must declare it now,’ the vicar demanded.

  Polly and Tommy smiled and shook their heads.

  There was a dramatic pause before the reverend turned to Tommy.

  ‘Thomas Watts, will you take Pollyanna Henrietta Elliot to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?’

  You could hear a pin drop.

  ‘I will.’ Tommy’s voice was loud and clear and very certain.

  The vicar cleared his throat again and turned his attention to Polly.

  ‘Pollyanna Henrietta Elliot, will you take Thomas Watts to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?’

  ‘I will,’ she said with a smile.

  Turning to his audience, the vicar raised his voice and asked the congregation if they, as family and friends, would support the couple now, and in the years to come.

  There was a resounding ‘We will.’

  The prayers, Bible reading and, thankfully, the relatively short sermon seemed to pass in a blur before it was time for the vows to be made.

  As instructed by the vicar, Polly and Tommy turned and faced each other.

  Their eyes locked as Tommy took Polly’s right hand and he repeated the words of the vicar.

  ‘I, Tommy Watts, take you Pollyanna Henrietta Elliot, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.’

  As he spoke the words, he realised that Polly had already done all these things.

  He knew she didn’t care about money, and she had already shown him that she loved him whether he was fighting fit or at death’s door.

  Seeing that Tommy had forgotten to release Polly’s hand, the vicar gently loosened it before guiding Polly to take Tommy’s right hand again.

  With a slightly trembling voice, Polly repeated the same vows, trying to keep the tears at bay when she said the words ‘to love and to cherish till death us do part’, for she knew that she would keep her vows even if Tommy was taken from her.

  When the vicar announced that it was now time for the ‘Giving of Rings’, Joe stepped forward and handed the two gold bands to the reverend, who then blessed them, explaining that they symbolised their unending love and faithfulness. That they were a reminder of the vows they had made today.

  Neither Tommy nor Polly thought they would need reminding. Ever.

  Tommy gently slid the gold band onto Polly’s finger.

  Feeling it shake, he kissed it.

  A few ‘ahs’ could be heard coming from the pews.

  Tommy looked into Polly’s eyes and said the time-honoured words:

  ‘All that I am, I give to you, and all that I have I share with you.’

  When it was Polly’s turn to put the ring on Tommy’s finger, she suddenly felt the enormity of the occasion.

  She took a deep breath.

  ‘Tommy Watts, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you.’ Polly’s voice trembled a little. You could feel the emotion in the air. ‘All that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you.’

  If Polly had looked to her left, she would have seen that her ma had tears running down her face, and that Beryl was pushing a hanky into her hand, all the while dabbing at her own tear-stained face.

  The vicar then turned to his audience.

  ‘Thomas Watts and Pollyanna Henrietta Elliot have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other.

  ‘They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings.’

  He paused. Took a deep breath.<
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  ‘I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife.’

  He then took Polly and Tommy’s right hands and joined them together.

  And in a booming voice declared:

  ‘Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.’

  Polly added her own prayer that this included the war.

  As the vicar ended his speech, Lucille started to clap, followed by Hope.

  There were a few chuckles and what sounded like a few choked cry-laughs.

  Polly looked up at Tommy and they smiled and kissed each other. Both a little self-conscious about being so public with their affection.

  The congregation started to shuffle and murmur. This was always the high point of any wedding and Polly and Tommy had not disappointed.

  After everyone settled back into their pews, the organ once again struck up.

  Everyone was directed to a sheet that had been placed in the hymn book, and asked to sing ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’ while the signing of the Register took place.

  Polly and Tommy, with Agnes and Arthur as their witnesses, signed the thick hard-backed green ledger laid out on a table behind the altar, while the church was filled with the enthusiastic warbling of their guests. All were clearly enjoying singing the carol, even if they couldn’t quite reach the high notes.

  Afterwards, the Lord’s Prayer was recited before the vicar brought the ceremony to an end with the words:

  ‘God the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.’

  Everyone chorused an enthusiastic ‘Amen.’

  As the organ struck up Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’, Tommy and Polly thanked the vicar and made their way, now husband and wife, down the aisle.

  They were holding hands, both smiling from ear to ear, radiating pure joy and happiness.

  Once outside, everyone gathered round, congratulating the happy couple.

  Mr Clement, aided by Bel, organised a group shot. He thanked his lucky stars the sun was out and the snow had not melted. He couldn’t have wished for better conditions. It wasn’t even windy.

  Lily slipped off back into the church to stuff a bulging brown envelope into the donation box for the repair of the church roof, while George nipped off to get the car.

  When he pulled up outside the church, he honked his horn, signalling it was time for the new Mr and Mrs Watts to make their way to the Grand. Everyone cheered and tossed confetti over the couple, as they ducked and clambered into the back of the MG.

  They drove off to a cacophony of clanking cans, a ‘Just Married’ sign hanging rather precariously from the boot.

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Toby had kindly agreed to get Bel to the Grand as speedily as possible so she could begin overseeing phase two of the wedding celebrations.

  True to his word, as soon as George had pulled away, Toby had pulled up in his Austin 8 and Bel, Dorothy, Angie and Quentin had all crammed in.

  Toby had driven down the stretch of Suffolk Street and Tatham Street as fast as the snow would allow him, overtaking George’s MG and blaring his horn.

  Dorothy’s beau for the day was clearly enjoying the challenge of the adverse weather conditions and by the look on Dorothy’s face, she was too.

  Turning left onto Borough Road, the back end of the grey Austin slid out and they all cried out. Partly through fear and partly with excitement.

  When they swung right onto Fawcett Street, Bel automatically grabbed Angie’s hand.

  ‘I think Toby must have been a professional racing driver before the war,’ Bel said into Angie’s ear.

  Bel looked at Quentin, who looked a little pale around the gills.

  ‘This your new fella?’ she asked as they drove up the main shopping street, which looked so festive with Christmas trees or decorations displayed in almost every window.

  ‘No!’ Angie seemed outraged by the suggestion. ‘Quentin is our neighbour! He’s only been invited so he can teach me how to be posh.’

  ‘Ahh,’ Bel nodded, as though this made complete sense.

  Arriving at the Grand, Bel sprang into action, making sure the five-piece band was in place, the champagne was chilling ready for the toast, and the buffet was being prepared. Polly had asked if, instead of a sit-down meal, they could have a spread so that everyone could simply relax, chat, dance, and eat and drink what they wanted, when they wanted.

  Once Bel had been assured that everything was in hand, she started organising the guests, getting them ready for the newly-weds’ arrival.

  George had taken a detour to allow them more time to get to the hotel. Bel had told him to go down by the south docks so they could look out across the river to Thompson’s, the place Tommy and Polly had first met and fallen in love, and then along the quayside, where they had become engaged.

  When the MG finally pulled up, Bel was waiting with Mr Clement. He had been told to take a photo of Polly and Tommy on the steps of the hotel, which had two magnificent fir trees decorated with silver baubles on either side of the entrance.

  Just before the flash of the light bulb, Tommy turned and kissed Polly. It was to be the photograph that Tommy would take with him, and which he’d keep with him at all times.

  When Polly and Tommy walked into the Grand a huge cheer rang out.

  Although most of the ground floor of the hotel had been cordoned off for the wedding reception, there was still a smattering of guests as well as a handful of Admiralty.

  Everyone in the vicinity stared at Polly in her beautiful ivory wedding dress, her hair piled up high in swirls, apart from a few perfectly curled and positioned strands that gave her a look that was both elegant and wanton. Next to her, Tommy, his fair hair cropped short, standing tall in his immaculate navy-blue uniform, also looked incredibly handsome.

  But it was the way the two kept looking at each other that captivated people’s attention the most.

  And so, the wedding celebration began.

  A couple of waitresses came from the kitchen, making their way around the guests, offering a selection of hors d’oeuvres from huge silver trays.

  Although Polly and Tommy had begged everyone not to give them presents, there was still a sizeable mound forming on a table around a large vase that had been filled with an elaborate display of red berries, sprayed pine, sprigs of fir and, of course, some holly and ivy.

  The quintet started up with ‘The Lady’s in Love with You’, followed by a lively version of ‘Jingle Bells’.

  Bel gave everyone twenty minutes to settle in before giving the hotel manager the nod.

  Stepping forward, he rang a little brass bell to catch everyone’s attention.

  ‘The bride and groom will now have the first dance,’ he announced, as the band started playing Johann Strauss.

  Tommy looked a little nervously at Polly. They had practised the waltz in the flat, but it was a different matter doing it in front of so many people.

  ‘Just think we’re on our own by the river,’ Polly whispered into her husband’s ear.

  ‘Remember?’ she said.

  Tommy closed his eyes.

  ‘I’ll never forget.’

  He slid his right hand down the perfectly fitted wedding dress to the small of his wife’s back. Polly took hold of his left hand, which he then raised in the air.

  ‘Here goes, Mrs Watts,’ Tommy whispered.

  Everyone watched the lovers as they waltzed, perfectly in tune with each other.

  Rosie put her hands on her sister’s shoulders.

  ‘Are you going to teach me how to waltz?’ she asked Charlotte. ‘I’m hoping that education of yours has stretched to ballroom dancing.’

  Charlotte turned her head to look at her sister.

  ‘I dunno about ballroom dancing, but I know how to waltz. It’s easy.’

  Rosie chuckled.

  ‘
Easy when you know how.’

  Rosie looked across at Lily, who was wearing her green dress. She had told everyone she would wear it today as it would mean she would have to get another one made for when she and George finally did get married.

  George still looked a little tense in his military wear, with his row of medals on display. The DSO, a silver-gilt, curved-edged cross, white enamelled with a gold crown in the middle, was particularly prominent, even from a distance.

  When the music changed, the manager made a gesture to show that the floor was now open to all.

  Tommy kissed Polly.

  ‘Thank goodness for that.’ He let out a sigh of pure relief.

  Polly rested her head on Tommy’s shoulder as they continued to slow dance even though the tempo was more upbeat.

  She smiled as she looked about her.

  Hannah and Olly were dancing close together.

  Rosie was laughing as Charlotte was trying to show her how to waltz and failing miserably.

  Dorothy looked very at ease with her potential new beau. According to Vivian, who had not stopped talking the entire time she had been doing her hair, Dorothy had met the very good-looking Toby last night at Lily’s.

  Angie, on the other hand, did not look at all at ease with her partner, Quentin. He also appeared to be giving her a dancing lesson, which looked almost as unsuccessful as Charlotte’s.

  As Tommy slowly moved around, Polly saw Pearl at the bar drinking whisky with Bill and Ronald. She wondered which one Bel’s ma would choose. She hoped Bill.

  And then she spotted Helen and Dr Parker. Polly watched them. They intrigued her. Helen had made it clear they were simply friends. As had Dr Parker to Tommy. But their body language as they danced said quite the opposite.

  After a little while the band took a short break and the manager made a show of opening up the double doors to a smaller room, which was taken up with an oblong table that had been filled with the wedding buffet.

  Everyone stood and stared for a moment. It was a feast fit for a king. There was smoked salmon, slices of goose, gammon, slabs of pâté, baskets of freshly baked buns, trays of sandwiches and other delicacies that most of the guests had not seen, never mind tasted, in a long time.