Nervous, me oh yes. All day long. A nice stag evening in The Ram with a few close friends, and my lovely family. We played records on my record player and ate some nice food, nice food and drinks too. It was good to see Natalie and Jeff who had flown in from New York, Grace and Cissy, Riley too, everyone i love there under one roof. I was sleeping but not gently. Stayed up and worked on my speech. Speech.. .. ..

Ziggy Stardust, Obscured by Clouds, Talking Book and Eat a Peach, Honkey Chateau, Exile on Main Street, Something Anything, Transformer and Clear Spot, all these great albums came out in 1972, it was a good year for music and for me. During that fruitful and inspirational year i was mostly stoned and living on the dole, i fiddled about with words and music, but love eluded me, i was a hopeless romantic. During that year i celebrated my 18th birthday, and during that year Louise was born. I am indeed the cradle snatcher from Deptford. My journey from then until now has been magical and mystical and a little bit lucky. The day Louise was born, my diary tells me, i had just played my first ever gig in a pub, i was playing the piano in a folk rock band, bluffing furiously, something i have mastered over the years. The Tigers Head in Catford for me, and a baby being born for Mrs Fielder in Richmond. Its been a long lucky journey, and im proud of everything i have done along the way.

Squeeze were asked to perform on a radio four comedy show, i turned up at Arthur Smith’s house and sat on my amp in a crowded kitchen filled with radio technicians and invited guests. I was feeling positive as i had just come from seeing my therapist, not an enviable job for her, but for me a new beginning. I was feeling positive i felt open to the possibility’s of change. As the band devoured another version of Pulling muscles from a shell i looked across the room. There i could see two girls standing on the stairs, a tall blond, and a brunet. I smiled at the brunet, she smiled back, at that point a light bulb came on in my head and i said to myself, i could spend the rest of my life with that woman. Over the past couple of years i have learnt that Louise is warm hearted, a loving and very patient mother, a wonderful trustworthy friend, a person who supports me in so many ways i thought not possible in a relationship. Im so lucky to have met her and to be standing here tonight with her by my side.

Within a very short time of knowing her she has sussed me out completely, my mysterious feminine side has been shattered by the harsh reality that im really just a bloke. Nothing gets past her, i have been explained. She has my back, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

My children have been amazing, they have lifted me when i have been weak, they have supported me in all that i have done. Im so deeply grateful to have four great kids. Natalie is the proud producer of Give me the loot, a wonderful new film just opened in New York, Nat has lived in America for many years and she thrives on her life there. Riley is an amazing artist and musician, Riley is like me, complicated and a complete fibber. But thats ok because we hope that love reaches beyond the misunderstood. Grace works hard as a PA to a very demanding Pussy cat doll, she is brilliant at her work as i have found out when in the past she has toured with me on the road with Squeeze. Grace is a also a wonderful photographer, Cissy is currently focused on her final year at Brighton collage, on her way to University in London, she has great focus and is a fine dancer, like me. They are the corner stones of my very lucky life.

Louise has her own children too, Linus Mitzi and Pebbles who are also very special, bravely they have excepted me into their mothers life. We all live together here in this village, it feels safe and wonderful. They work hard at school, Linus at Spanish and Mine craft, Mitzi at Maths, and Pebbles who has an A in drums, they never fill the dish washer and always leave their pants on the floor, a bit like their mother, but slowly we are learning to share our lives together here in Firle. Its the beginning of a new journey for us all. I’m so lucky to have great friends here tonight i would like to thank some amazing people who have helped put this our wedding together.

Peter the vicar who inspired me to move here, he guided me back to family and love, i thank him with all of my heart, Clare who worked so effortlessly behind the scenes to stage this day she is the greatest tour manager i have ever worked with. Graham and Cassie, and the amazing team from Westside productions who built the staging and the lights both here and in the church. Thank you to all the musicians who have given their time and love to play for us today, thank you Pippa for orchestrating the choir. Thank you Kulwant and her staff for the feast of home cooked Indian food. Thank you to Gordon for being my best man, he is a very patient friend and with his friendship in my life i feel complete, but ladies check your hand bags on your way out! Gordon has saved my life on many an occasion and friends like him are very hard to find. Riley thank you too for being my second best man, happy birthday for Monday, nice one! Lew……

Thank you to Eloise for being such a great support to Louise and for being the perfect bridesmaid. And thank you to the people who travelled so far to be here tonight, Grace from LA, Natalie from New York, Kate Louise’s sister from the Cayman Islands, Louise Mulley who flew in from Australia, Steve an Muriel from Paris, Glenn and Suzanne from Antigua, but mostly i say thank you to Louise who has worked so hard to organize this beautiful wedding, she has focused on this for months and her love and hard work show. Louise is a gift, a person who has come out of thin air to walk with me into the fourth quarter of my lucky and magical life. I need for nothing, because i believe that i have it all. A toast to Louise!

And then it was 5am, the rain was lashing the side of the pub i was cold and hungry happy and awake, we were hours a few away from joining together two families and two hearts. Without the past this would not be my present and im so grateful for the now i belong to.