My stomach had been churning all morning to the point where I couldn’t eat, and regular readers will know that it’s not like me to go off my food! But my nerves disappeared the moment John drove up the long winding driveway and my eyes came to rest on the emerald green and sunshine yellow fields of grass and daffodils spreading all around us. The meadows were framed with trees of all shapes and sizes and at the top of the drive stood the Rookesbury Park School, a former stately home hidden in the Hampshire countryside. A cat could live an excellent life in a place like this, far away from the hustle and bustle, the dangers of busy roads and angry humans who don’t have the time or the inclination to appreciate the complex behaviours of the feline species. Lucky for me, I’m surrounded by kind-hearted humans who understand my need to rub legs, scratch sofas, nip toes, lick plates, sniff floors and purr manically when my neck is caressed or my fur is fondled.

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John pulled up outside the house and started emptying the car of all the camera equipment while I bounced over to the edge of the field and gazed contentedly across the landscape. I started to picture myself running in slow motion to the sound of Chariots of Fire, leaping majestically with my paws outstretched like Marty the Zebra and Alex the Lion running towards each other on the beach in the movie Madagascar. But I couldn’t spend all day dreaming of frolicking in the prairie, I had work to do! The model was dressed in her bridal gown and the hairdresser was providing a few finishing touches as the glorious spring sun smiled down upon us. The wedding car was in position and lenses, tripods, flashguns and quantum cables were set up and ready to go. The photographers were John, myself and John’s daughter Natasha who kept making me laugh. She knows full well that my belly wobbles when I chuckle and it’s hard to keep the camera still!!

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We worked hard for over 3 hours, perspiring in the heat and getting stiff muscles and trigger finger (or trigger paw in my case) from holding awkward positions and the multiple button-clicking involved, but it was worth every moment. It was a great opportunity to support the model and the hair-stylist who are both at the beginning of their careers and appreciated having some pro shots for their portfolios so my thanks go to them for their skill and endurance. Thanks also to Brides of Sussex in Bognor Regis for the loan of the gown, and Nathan at BB Executive Travel in Bognor Regis for his posh car and ribbons and his upbeat style. Thanks also to Natasha for her patience, jokes and comical body movements that kept everyone amused. Well it kept me amused anyway, although as John knows, I’m easily pleased!

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