The online diary of Caroline Westbrook following her marriage on September 6 1998 to Leslie Bunder.
Thursday October 1 1998
Back to work, happy in the knowledge I have had my last day off this year. No more holidays allowed until January now. But to be honest, I think I can handle that. I seem to have spent more time out of the office than in it this year, so it'll be nice to actually be there for once.
Did a piece for Radio Five Live tonight, which involved some pre-recording at television Centre at about 10 pm. Leslie drove me there, which gave us the opportunity to stop at Solly's for a bite to eat along the way. (they have also improved).
Friday October 2 1998
Took the opportunity to have a rest tonight, as we have a busy weekend ahead of us. We are property hunting! We haven't definitely decided we want to move but we are looking. If we find something bigger and better, we may just be tempted.
Saturday October 3 1998
Saw two places this morning, one up in North London, which was very nice but had a few problems (i.e no wardrobe space), and another which was too tiny for words. This afternoon's property was huge (with a 27 foot gallery room in addition to two large bedrooms), but involved climbing two winding staircases (imagine trying to hoik your shopping up those!).
Still, we aren't in any immediate hurry, so let's just see what happens. Met up with Karen and Edward for Mexican tonight, something which we haven't had for ages. Made a nice change anyway.
Sunday October 4 1998
Checked out another new development this afternoon, in Kilburn, North London, which again involved paying a lot more money for less space. However, it was designed beautifully - of all the places we've seen this weekend it was the only one I could envisage us living in. But it has to be said, this place is bigger (and cheaper).
Monday October 5 1998
Still toying with the idea of building a Succah on the balcony, but the weather's so appalling at the moment (it's raining every five minutes), it probably isn't such a hot idea. It suddenly got very cold at the weekend, so this is it, I guess. Sweaters on again and no more nice weather until April. If we're lucky. Still, Succot is a fun festival, despite the lack of balcony dwellings.
Tuesday October 6 1998
Our one month anniversary! Can't believe it's only been such a short amount of time - we have settled into our new routines so well it feels as though we've been doing them for ever.
Still no possibility of a balcony Succah. Never mind. Simchat Torah is coming imminently, and it will be Chanukah before we know it. I am taking advantage of getting away from work early as I suspect next week will be a tad nightmarish. We are doing new things to the magazine which are taking a little too long to put together.
Wednesday October 7 1998
Excitingly enough, we were invited to the UK premiere and party of The Truman Show tonight which, for those still not in the know, is that Jim Carrey movie about a guy who doesn't realise he's a character in a TV show.
It's one of the best films of the year (although we didn't go and watch it again), which made it an even bigger shame that the party wasn't much better. The venue (Sound Republic, this new place in the West End) was big enough but it lacked atmosphere.
And also, given the huge amount of acclaim that's been piled on the film, the box office in the States and the sheer originality of it all you thinking that they could've come up with something a bit more imaginative than the standard room full of free food and drink. Oh well, it was nice to be invited anyway.
Thursday October 8 1998
Nothing much to report today, apart from the very nice takeaway supper we had from Marcus's. Of course the good news is that now the clocks are on the verge of going back and Shabbat is going out earlier, Marcus's will be open on a Saturday night. Hurrah!
Friday October 9 1998
Left the office at 8.30 pm tonight, which rather scuppered our chances of doing anything else. Never mind, we have a busy weekend ahead of us.
Saturday October 10 1998
Went to the hairdressers for my long awaited perm, very exciting. Emerged two and a half hours and most of the contents of my wallet later looking like a cross between Elsa Lanchester in the Bride Of Frankenstein and someone who stuck a fork into an electrical socket and held on really tight.
I was told that it would be somewhat poodle-like at first, but I am quite frankly horrified. We both are. Kept dodging into ladies' toilets to flatten the damn thing down, against the orders of my hairdresser. However, I then realised the simplest solution was just to tie the whole thing back in a big ponytail. Which is much better.
It had better go down soon though - I really don't want to have to wear a bag on my head in public for the next six months.
Combatted the problem by going to see There's Something About Mary, which I had already seen but Leslie hadn't and hey, nobody can see you in the cinema after all. Besides, it was an excuse to use the free Virgin Cinema Pass I was sent this week.
Thanks to the splendid people at Virgin I can now take myself and a guest off to any of their films at any of their cinemas - for nothing! Rounded off the evening with a very nice meal at a local Thai restaurant in Ealing, imaginatively name The Thai Restaurant. And nobody looked at my hair.
Sunday October 11 1998
Met up with Karen, Edward and Gwennan in the morning for a screening of Antz. Yes, I had already seen that one too, but to be quite honest, it withstands a second viewing, especially on a screen that size, and especially in a darkened room where nobody can see my hair . . . actually, it's plummeted noticeably during the night, and doesn't look half so bad now. Well, as long as I secure it firmly in place with a hairnet . . .
Monday October 12 1998
This is going to be a bad week at work, I can feel it. Actually got away at 7.30 tonight, and made the most of being able to be at home and do the ironing.
Tuesday October 13 1998
Left at 10.10 pm, although luckily Leslie had been out for dinner with a friend and was able to pick me up (meaning I didn't have to wait ages for the strangely unreliable cab company we use).
Didn't really have much time to think about anything else, although we are starting to ponder the whereabouts of our photos. David said a couple of weeks back he would find out some shipping costs and send them to me, but we haven't heard a peep.
Yes, I know it's been Yom Tov, but at the same time that's only been a couple of days a week, so it isn't as if the world has stopped. Must give him a call and chase that up.
Wednesday October 14 1998
Left work at 10.30 pm tonight, although luckily Leslie was in the West End with his colleagues so I got a lift home again. This time around though, I ordered a car to take me to the Russell Square hotel where he was having dinner, and soon wondered if that was a good idea, given that my driver had only been doing the job for eight days and had absolutely no idea how to get to the hotel in question (nor did I, as I had never been there).
Thank heavens for mobile phones! At least Leslie was able to give us directions, thus preventing us from driving round and round Russell Square once again.
Thursday October 15 1998
Established an all-time personal record when I finished work just before midnight and it took a full hour for my cab to come, to the point where the driver ended up getting farther and farther away from where he was supposed to pick me up and a second driver (who claimed to have driven all the way from Kent in 15 minutes flat to be there - judging from the way he drove me home I somehow believe his story) was called to my rescue.
By the time I got home it was 1.08 am and I was decidedly unamused. But if you've ever wondered what goes on in an office in the small hours, the answer is pretty much nothing.
Friday October 16 1998
10.45 tonight, so not so bad. Trouble is the work still isn't finished so we have to go in and do it all over again on Monday.
Saturday October 17 1998
Hurrah! Marcus's is open on a Saturday night and the clocks aren't even back yet. We went there tonight with Judy, who came laden with wedding photos.
Nice to see the ones that other people have taken, as we have seen out own (to say nothing of our unofficial video) many times now. Not only did she have wedding snaps, but she had the ones we took of the night we went to see Titanic The Musical. Needless to say, our expressions perfectly convey our feelings about the production.
Sunday October 18 1998
Tried to have a bit of a rest, given that we'll be doing those hours again tomorrow night, but then again with all the housework getting behind that
wasn't exactly my primary concern. Am hoping it'll all be over by Tuesday.
Monday October 19 1998
Finished at 9.30 pm tonight, not so bad.
Tuesday October 20 1998
Celebrated my first night of being able to leave at a civilised hour by going to a seminar for Women in Journalism, a society I belong to (pretty self-
explanatory by the title).
It was about the differences between how male and
female journalists are treated in the workplace, and it was interesting to see how the attitudes varied between the folks in the audience and those on the panel (half of whom were male).
Didn't come away with firm ideas about how differently men and women are treated, but I know I was made to feel
very welcome at the seminar and will definitely be going to more of their evenings, including their Christmas party in a month's time, which Leslie can also go
to.
Wednesday October 21 1998
Spent the day rearranging my desk, turning it from the most chaotic in the office to the most organised, simply by placing a strategically placed plant and some silver storage boxes among the newly-found tidiness I had
created.
I toyed with the idea of adding some scatter cushions and an orange fun fur waste bin but decided that would be taking the home/office divide just a little too far.
Thursday October 22 1998
Another very quiet day at work, made up for the lack of activity by being lunched at Harvey Nichols, the swnakiest department store in London. Which was
nice, but nowhere near as nice as the takeaway pizza we picked up tonight.
Friday October 23 1998
We are becoming a tad concerned with the non-appearance of photos! Must call David next week and chase them again - apparently they are ready but he was
trying to find the most economical way to send them to us.
Saturday October 24 1998
Went furniture shopping! Although we received various vouchers from colleagues and the like, they won't quite cover the cost of a chest of drawers,
which is what we're currently seeking for the bedroom.
We did, however, finally invest in a decent kettle, one which actually switches off when it's boiled unlike the one we have now which keeps happily boiling regardless of whether it's done.
Too rainy and nasty to go out tonight so we grabbed a quick meal and then stayed in watching the profoundly average Michael Douglas film The Game on pay-per-view. And to my surprise, it was still profoundly average.
Sunday October 25 1998
Still too unpleasant to venture out of doors, but no matter as Leslie cooked the world's largest meal tonight - steak, mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad, even after-dinner mints, all that fitted into this stomach.
Heaven knows where I put it all, but Leslie does such a good steak I couldn't resist.
Monday October 26 1998
Kicked off a mammoth week of movie watching with Apt Pupil, based on a Stephen King novel and directed by the guy who made Usual Suspects.
It was OK, but as someone who read the book I found it a little non-disturbing - it's about this kid who befriends a Nazi war criminal, and it was beautifully made and impeccably directed, just a little non-threatening. Followed it up at an excellent Indian restaurant called Soho Spice, where we feasted on a platter of tandoori vegetables and some terrific desserts. We're already making plans for a return visit.
Tuesday October 27 1998
Carried on the film watching with Rush Hour, a huge American hit which stars Jackie Chan (fabulous) and Eddie Murphy wannabe Chris Tucker (not so fabulous). Against my better judgment, this film was good brainless fun, largely thanks to Jackie and his amazing stunts with ming vases. Met up with Leslie afterwards and travelled back together - he was on a conference
in the West End today and subsequently left the car at home for once.
Spoke to Arlene at Pace Photography tonight to query the whereabouts of out pictures - she said she would put a selection in the post tomorrow.
Wednesday October 28 1998
By my calculations, the photos should take about a week to arrive from NY. Otherwise, I'll be on the phone to them . . .
Thursday October 29 1998
Two parties tonight, one for someone from another magazine who is leaving, the other a sloppily organised experiment in what happens when you put 1500
people in a 700 capacity venue and stop all the free drink at 9 pm.
Eveybody goes home, that's what happens. Including us.
Friday October 30 1998
Rounded off my week's movie viewing with the marvellous British film Little Voice, which peculiarly stars Ewan McGregor as a pigeon fancier. No, seriously, it was absolutely terrific. Can't believe it's the weekend
already, and we have a busy one ahead.
Saturday October 31 1998
I cannot believe it! The photos have already arrived, and they are absolutely beautiful! I can believe that, it's just I am staggered at how quickly
they got here. They've sent 62 in total, a fine selection of solo shots, the two of us, group shots, family snaps, candid party pics - they're all
marvellous.
Can't wait to see the rest! We will be putting a selection on the Web site very soon.
Spent the day marvelling over the photos and showing them off to family, before heading out to yet another party in the evening - this one for the launch of FilmFour, a new movie channel run by Channel Four (the
cutting edge TV station, for those who've never seen it).
The station will be showing all the best in independent and foreign movies, and the party was a good
reflection of that. It was divided into four rooms - a live music room, a dance floor complete with exotic dancers, an American diner done up with bloodstains on the walls and corpses to look as though a shoot-out had
recently occurred, and a chill-out zone with easy listening music and beanbags. Right down to the ice-cream and cocktails, this party was
excellent.
Got to bed at 2am!
