after 1945 No 25

                                                                                                          After 1945  No 25


Angela has found a flat in Canterbury,right next to the entrance to the cathedral,so we are going to have a look at but, it wont be ready  untill later on in 1956 because it  has to be refurbished,this would suit us because we will be able to look for furniture and beds etc and have it stored untill the flat is ready,its seems funny the two us looking at a flat and furniture,I really  cant beleive it  we are really going to be a couple, I suppose this is the meaning of comitment,working together  and shareing  things and idias and thoughts. We have  decided to make an appointment with the Priest to dicuss our wedding plans with him,and we know we will have problems with him at last the evening comes when we have arranged to meet with the priest,who of course knows Angela but I sense he is not all that keen on me,anyway we sit and listen to him  talk,asking us if we realise the true meaning of marriage and what it involves, etc etc then comes the real point of the meeting,regards me changing my faith to that of cathlic faith,and then the children will be welcome  into the cathlic faith and the church,I sayI see no reason why I should  have to change my faith,he reminds me that as a cathlic Angela cannot marry  one who is of the church of England faith, or any other faith come to that,,so unless I change, and become  Cathlic he cannot marry us,I say  that this amounts to a form of blackmail, and is not very christian like.but he says there is nothing he can do about it,so I should go away and think  hard about it.Angela  then says we could be married in the chuch of England, he says that we would be living in sin in that case as the marriage would not be reconised in the cathlic chuch, so Angela says we would do this if nessesary so I remind him that this would not be the case in my church,and would be perfectly legal, but he then says that Anglea would be making a  great sin,and could be xcomunicated from the Cathlic church,so he sujests that we talk to Tony and Jessy and come back and see him again with the right decision,We do talk to Tony and Jessy,and say that we could  be married in my church, but then they say that they could not go into a chuch of England as it would be a sin,and they would not consider that we were truly married anyway.Now I realise what my Mother meant when she said  I would have trouble with Angela  as a wife, we return to see the priest to tell we have made a decision, and will be married in my chuch, and then one in his.if he will agree to this.then both families would be happy.he says  that he will only agree with this after speaking to his Bishop and getting his decision.so we arrange another meeting with him,the next meeting with him  is also dissapointing,because he  says that he would only except this arrangment if I will sign a document to say I will have any children brought up in the cathlic faith,I again say that this is blackmail and I will not do it.he then says that this is the end of the matter, he will not marry us,Angela whispers  to me just do it Len !!  and let him think he  has won.so I say I will agree to his request  he says I have made the right decision.and will marry us so thats it,we can now get on with our Marriage plans,and set a date for the  22nd September 1956 so Tony and Jessey  will  also be happy that we have made the right decsion in their eyes.so all is O K at the moment it seems. so .Angela can now  decide to get her wedding dress made,and the design she wants. and I can make arrangements for our honeymoon, I think we should go abroad,to Italy to a place called San Remo on the mediteranian coast.I have have been saving up for this and have now paid for it. with Thomas Cook travel agents. a friend of mine { Billy Little } ask me if I would like to have our wedding recorded, and he would love to do it for us,as a wedding present. I say  that would be great,so I will ask the priest if  this will be O K..at our next meeting with him and  I must say I dont hold out much joy as regards this,but can only ask.so at the next meeting I ask him if this would be possible, and he says no this is not possible,in the cathlic church, as it happens Prince Rainer of Manoco and Princss Grace are also getting married  that month, and are having a whole film company  filming theirs, so I mention this to him,and ask if this is because they have money and are famous, and Angela and I not famous or wealthy,.and I understand that money dosnt count in the eyes of God.so whats the differents betreen them and  us.I can see he really dosnt know how to answer that one.and  says  that perhaps something could be arranged for us to do this. this time I win,.I dont think he has had anyone stand up to him and his church so much before, and will be glad to get rid of us,I dont really have much time for these religius ministers and priests they dont like you to question  their beleifs they prefere you to obay.not question.and somtimes  they dont know quite how to answer you.