The online diary of Caroline Westbrook following her marriage on September 6 1998 to Leslie Bunder.
Monday February 1 1999
Have just remembered that we were supposed to call David while we were in Florida and get him to send copies of the photos that we want to submit to the Jewish Chronicle and London Jewish News! Have now forgotten and we have been back from Florida for over a week. Well, guess that’s not happening for a while now.
Hard to believe it is February already – after last year, when every trip was planned out it is strange being home and not having one planned. We will have to start deciding where to go next very soon – could be back to the US, although that’s a certainty for later in the year to pick up our photo albums, so possibly somewhere closer to home this time.
Tuesday February 2 1999
Playing catch-up on the washing is proving difficult – maybe I will have sorted it out by the time we come to go away again! The weather is presently proving too unpleasant to do anything other than go to work and come home again, but at least this provides me with a chance to do all that housework. Interesting stuff, to be sure.
Wednesday February 3 1999
Another uneventful day, have finally got over the jetlag and the slight cold which seemed to be plaguing me last week.
Thursday February 4 1999
No, I have not gotten over the slight cold which was plaguing me, as I discovered at about half-past midnight when I began coughing somewhat uncontrollably. I do hope it isn’t going to turn into anything.
Friday February 5 1999
It has turned into something! Spent the whole day at work with a tissue wedged into my nostrils spluttering into a well-worn hanky, refusing to take a sick day as I had only just gotten back from my holidayy. Typical, isn’t it? The only times you ever get sick are when you’re either too busy to take a day off or you’ve just got back and have guilt about it. As per usual, I decided to dose myself up with stuff and suffer. Maybe it’ll only last a day.
Saturday February 6 1999
Well indeed, I did feel a great deal better this morning – enough to dust the flat, put out some of the wedding presents in place of the cards which have been up there for months now (and we have been married five months, it’s time they came down in favour of the decanter and bowls and assorted other gifts which have been sitting in boxes all this time) and finally take down the Chanukah decorations – well, it is almost Purim after all! I have removed all the banners but have left the balloons as they are – rather than do one of those mass sitting on them to make them burst I would much prefer to leave them until they shrivel up and can be disposed of quietly and with the minimum of fuss. The problem is, they have been up for nearly two months now and are showing no signs of diminishing – they are clearly made of more resilient stuff.
This afternoon I began feeling Very Bad Indeed, thus meaning I spent the rest of the evening crouched on the sofa clutching a hot water bottle, sipping camomile tea and watching Saturday evening TV (two of these things made me feel much better). Leslie rustled up some corn chowder (yum!), medicine (not yum!) and Lucozade, the combined effort of which should leave me feeling fine by the morning.
Sunday February 7 1999
We are not fine, but we are at least feeling human enough to work tomorrow. I confined myself to the flat today, just to make sure; it seemed to work.
I was hoping that David might have sent those photos to my parents’ address of his own accord, but it has been nearly a week now and there is no sign. He is clearly waiting for me to call. I will have to contact him tomorrow. Even though it is a week since I thought of doing so. I blame the flu personally. It makes me forget things.
Monday February 8 1999
We are feeling a whole lot better today, so no danger of sick leave (why is it that we only ever seem to get sick on weekends?). Hid what was left of my sniffles and struggled valiantly into the office, full medical kit stuffed into my handy backpack. It seemed to work anyway, I am not coughing nearly as much. I couldn’t bring myself to go to the gym and sweat out some of the bad stuff, as I was determined to feel as sorry for myself as possible. It worked.
Tuesday February 9 1999
Still have not remembered to call David. It’s those time differences – by the time he gets into work I am practically leaving, and by the time I remember to call him it’s bed time! It will happen, except of course I was supposed to call him while we were in Florida. Maybe this is an excuse to go back to Florida for a bit, and call him there…
Wednesday February 10 1999
We are seriously toying with the idea of going back to Florida in a couple of months time (good, I can call David then)! Auntie Dora’s birthday is at the beginning of May so the idea is to go out there at the end of April with Lorraine and spend about 10 days. And to think we’ll be going back so soon when we thought we wouldn’t go there again until at least next year! That’ll be us done with holidays for the year, I guess, except for a brief trip to NY in October to pick up the photo albums (and of course, do New York things). We will see how it goes on the Florida front.
Thursday February 11 1999
It’s my parents’ wedding anniversary so I popped over after work with a stack of reading matter in tow (I only buy presents for people nowadays if I can get them from Borders, as this is a most pleasurable task which usually ends in my buying several things for myself). Everybody seemed pleased with their new books (especially me. Ha!). No, seriously, they always make for a great present, especially if you have been reading something ace and you want to share it with others without lending them your dog-eared old copy.
Friday February 12 1999
Leslie has a new job! He starts on Monday March 15 as Project Manager for TDL Infospace, a leading Internet information service which is a joint European venture between Thomson Directories and Infospace of the US. It’s all really rather exciting, as he had the interview on the Monday and had been offered the position two days later! The only downside is that the offices are in Farnborough, which is 40 miles away, meaning a long drive there and back each morning (actually, it only took him around 35 minutes the other day but that wasn’t in the middle of the rush hour. Still, the job sounds excellent, so all those extra miles will be worth it.
Saturday February 13 1999
Had disappointing Chinese takeaway at Karen and Edward’s place before settling down to compare wedding videos. Theirs is very plush (velvet-lined case, baby photos, The Bangles Eternal Flame on the soundtrack), and extremely well done (the music is edited in extremely well). We don’t have the velvet case or the baby photos (which we didn’t want at the start of the video as is the norm), buy the editing is superb, especially the recap at the end. As wedding videos go, they’re both pretty top-notch.
Sunday February 14 1999
I am not a big fan of Valentine’s Day, so I chose to mark the occasion by cleaning the bathroom and watching the EastEnders omnibus edition (how romantic). I was, however, forced to change my mind when Leslie showed up from shopping with a beautiful card and a large bunch of red roses. I had been hiding his cards from him, having put them in the post on Thursday evening in the hope they would arrive Saturday morning. Actually, they arrived Friday morning, which was quicker than if I had delivered them by hand. My faith in the Post Office is restored!
Monday February 15 1999
Catherine was in town today, so I shipped the wedding photos into work to show her over lunch. Went to a pizza place called Spiga in the West End – terrifically enormous, tasty portions, albeit ones which took around an hour to arrive (and by that point, five minutes to eat). Still, at least this gave us plenty of time to chat. (and of course show off the pictures).
Tuesday February 16 1999
Finally, finally remembered to call David, who seemed not a bit peturbed that we had phoned only a month later than we intended to. Apparently the photos and videos should be coming back from their various places early next week, so they will be sent out to us then.
I am hugely relieved. We really need to get this picture to the Jewish Chronicle as quickly as possible, or else we will be celebrating our silver wedding before it goes in.
Wednesday February 17 1999
Entering a quieter period at work, thankfully. The Empire Awards are coming up next Friday, so all attention is focused on that for the next week and a half. As per usual they have not divulged any of the guest list, and the suspense will be unbearable next week until we all find who we are looking after. Those people in the office who aren’t blessed with a lot of patience, however, are acting as they might when they were younger and they ran all round the house trying to find out exactly where their parents might have hidden their birthday presents. I, too, am sorely tempted to seek out a guest list, but I shall be patient a while longer.
Thursday February 18 1999
Went on my fourth lunch of the week! I am being heavily lunched this week – no time to get to the gym, plenty of time to drink lots of wine and eat bad food. Oh well. I daresay one week won’t do me any harm (provided it doesn’t stretch into two of course). We shall behave better next week.
Friday February 19 1999
Had a staff screening tonight of the Faculty, a frankly ridiculous but highly enjoyably film about a high school whose teachers get possessed by aliens. (I had of course long suspected that all my German teachers were aliens, but my claims remained unfounded). Decent special effects and very nicely shot. Just the kind of movie you want to start the weekend with, really.
Saturday February 20 1999
Some time off! How lovely! Decided staying home tonight and watching Evil Dead II (really, really good film. No, honest), was infinitely preferable to going out, and no wonder – the weather hasn’t exactly been kind lately. Nice to actually spend a Saturday doing very little for a change.
Sunday February 21 1999
Even lovelier to spend a Sunday doing very little.
Monday February 22 1999
It is Awards week, and you can almost cut the excitement in the office with a knife! The folks in the know are walking around talking in code and hushed whispers, lest one of the little minions find out who’s coming. Like, who are we going to tell anyway (probably everyone, knowing me).
The photos were meant to be sent today. So let’s just see if they turn up.
Tuesday February 23 1999
It is hard to do much work in the awards excitement. Concentrated on doing a triple bill of things tonight; started off with an hour at the gym, headed towards Fleet Street for a Women In Journalism wine tasting evening (lots of wine, very well tasted, thank you very much), then headed back into SoHo to say bye-bye to my mate Carolyn, a film PR who is leaving to live in NY.
Caught up with lots of people I hadn’t seen for ages, including two actors who I interviewed last year! (now that was a nice surprise! In the interests of respecting their privacy, plus the possibility that very few people actually know who they are, they shall remain nameless).
Leslie had an exciting evening as well – he went to an Internet/Virgin Net train-ticket buying launch at Richard Branson’s West London pad! Had buffet and a little chat with Richard (Leslie asked him why he doesn’t have the option for kosher meals on his trains, which he thought was a pretty splendid idea), before being given the little perk doled out to each guest – namely a pair of first-class return train tickets to go anywhere in the country!
So we are going to Edinburgh for the weekend at the end of April (to coincide with the start of May and the Bank Holiday). And it’ll be first class – all the way! (way-hey!). Picked up fish and chips on the way home – the perfect end to a perfect evening.
Wednesday February 24 1999
Have just about recovered from the excitements of last night. Shame to see Carolyn go, but hey! – one extra person to hang out with next time we’re in NY!
Have opted to stay at the George Intercontinental in Edinburgh – well, if we’re travelling up 1st class we might as well stay in a 1st class hotel! Went for a pizza with Judy tonight, and received our wedding present from her – a copy of New York Vertical, a tall book featuring loads of beautiful pics of New York skyscrapers and the like. Superb for the coffee table (if the hi-fi wasn’t already on it, that is).
Thursday February 25 1999
The awards list has finally been revealed, and I am babysitting Brenda Blethyn! My folks, their biggest fans, have gone into a state of uncontrollable excitement (actually, so have I). We’re all set for tomorrow – spent half the afternoon in the hairdressers having my head painted a shiny new shade of mahogany for the occasion.
Friday February 26 1999
Headed down to the Park Lane Hotel at about 11.30, clad in best frock and cardie to wait for the arrivals. Brenda turned up some time after midday and proved to be quite charming, even stopping to talk to the press when she was unexpectedly bombarded on her way down to the ballroom. Plied her and her hubby with beer and champagne before shipping them off to their table.
The awards themselves went pretty well, though, with a good turnout – Spike Lee, Kate Winslet, Joel Schumacher (he made Batman And Robin, you know), William Hurt and Joan Collins among others. And everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. Didn’t latch on to too many celebs this year – did my obligatory interview with Brenda over mouthfuls of sushi, which involved discussing the day and finding out what frock she’d be wearing to the Oscars (Escada, apparently).
And then once it was all over, popped off to the party at a top-secret venue in the West End. Everybody was very well behaved (if drunk), but the day had been going on for so long I was pretty much too tired to continue by 10 pm. Fell into a cab and headed for home.
Saturday February 27 1999
Did my movie-friendly duties with a trip to the cinema to see You’ve Got Mail. Bad idea, as it happens. Not only was it not particularly funny (well, a handful of good lines), but it was basically a two-hour commercial break. In other words, Tom Hanks didn’t just go to Starbucks – he went to a monolithic Starbucks that dominate the entire screen, and proceeded to wax lyrical about the benefits of a fine $2.95 morning roast.
I’m surprised he didn’t hold the beverage to the camera and grin ridiculously while pointing at it. On the plus side, Meg Ryan was not as annoying as usual, but whether this is something to be thankful for I do not know. Went to Sami’s for a late supper in order to ponder the matter.
Sunday February 28 1999
Can’t believe that two months of the year have gone already! We will be sticking double noughts on the end of things before we know it!
On the minus side, the photos have not yet arrived, and I must chase this – last time they were sent they only took a few days to arrive, even though they were coming from the other side of the world. At this rate our wedding photo will be appearing in the JC alongside our silver wedding photo! This is not quite what
we intended.
