Like mother, like daughter
Last updated 10:29, Thursday, 07 August 2008
Choosing the venue for their post-wedding celebration was easy for Helen Wynne and Jimmy Jones.
As the location of her parents’ wedding reception 30 years ago, Helen always knew that when she got married Farlam Hall near Brampton would be where she would celebrate her own wedding.
“We didn’t look anywhere else,” she said. “We knew straight away that we wanted to go there after the ceremony.”
Helen, 25, and Jimmy, 32, got married on July 4 this year at St John’s Church, Houghton. There were 42 day guests and 120 at the evening reception at Carlisle Rugby Club on Warwick Road.
The couple, who live in Denton Holme, Carlisle, met three years ago.
Helen arrived at the church in a green Austin Healy from Lakes and Dales Car Hire, Penrith, and was given away by her father Ken.
Jimmy, who is a graphic designer originally from Silloth, then drove Helen to Farlam Hall. There, guests enjoyed drinks in the garden before sitting down to a three-course meal.
Helen decided to break with tradition and gave a speech because she felt there were things she wanted to say and people she wanted to thank.
“There are lovely grounds and it is also beautiful inside,” said Helen, a nurse at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle. “The decor is very old-fashioned and I don’t think it has changed much over the years.”
The Quinion family bought the house in June 1975 and still run it today.
As Farlam Hall can cater for groups of up to only 45, Helen and Jimmy decided to hold their evening reception at Carlisle Rugby Club.
Her parents, Joy and Ken, met through work and got married two years after becoming engaged.
Their big day was April 22, 1978. The ceremony was at Brampton Methodist Church.
Since the 1970s, fashions have changed dramatically and this is apparent in wedding outfits.
Helen used the internet to find the perfect dress – from the Sandals range – but didn’t actually try on the finished gown until the day before the wedding.
She said: “It needed alterations so the dressmaker from the company I bought the dress from had to do the adjustments. I didn’t see or try on the finished dress until 8pm the day before the wedding. I was a bit worried but it turned out to be perfect.”
On her wedding day, Joy wore a plain white wedding dress with wide sleeves and a skull cap.
She remembers the outfit her brother, the late Paul Allison, wore – flares and platform shoes.
Her friends’ outfits were not as dressy as they are today.
“If they had children they couldn’t afford to spend a lot of money on an outfit,” said Joy. “Things have definitely changed. Weddings have become much bigger.”
Joy, 54, and Ken, 55, chose Farlam Hall because it was close to where Joy lived at Low Row.
It was a small wedding with 30 guests attending and after the reception finished in the late afternoon, the newlyweds went off on their honeymoon to Chester.
They had a buffet and had decided not to have any speeches, but the best man had decided to stand up and say something so Ken had to respond.
Joy said: “We loved the grounds and the beautiful old building and it has kept its charm over the years.
“We had to save up. We just had a small wedding. I don’t think it matters how much money you spend on your wedding. At the end of the day it is all about the couple and the day. We didn’t have anything like wedding favours.”
Joy and Ken returned to Farlam Hall for their first wedding anniversary and then went with friends not long afterwards. But their memories of Farlam Hall are now filled with their daughter’s wedding.
Joy added: “I was flattered that Helen wanted to celebrate her wedding at Farlam Hall.”
