Well, the Autumn this year has been a tad busy for me what with my Chepstow MBS show where we welcomed over 180 visitors through the door, then celebrating my parents Diamond Wedding Anniversary (Sept 22) plus our own wedding on Oct 8.

I love the autumn, the colours, the chill in the air to mark the getting out of my favourite jumpers to the hot choc treat in a local coffee shop. This year for sure I have had even more reasons to love it. It was always a dream to get married in the Autumn surrounded by the gold, oranges and reds of the trees, which to me bring a certain magic. It is often seen as a time of year to make changes and I guess this year I did just that when I went from Miss Jones to Mrs Jones.

When getting married on October 8 I didn’t only realise a dream of an autumnal wedding, it was also one of the hottest, most glorious sunny days of the month and a day when I wed a certain Mr Jones who in fact had been my first boyfriend when I was just seventeen.

I guess for many years as my life moved across the UK and Ireland, I didn’t really give a thought to getting married to someone from all those years ago, after all our lives had moved in different directions however that was all to change in recent years when during covid many years after re-kindling our relationship we got engaged.

It was then I realised that a long-forgotten dream of marrying in the autumn, when harvest was in the air and the shades of gold lit up the evening sky was in fact due to become my reality. Looking back to my younger years before I moved to pastures new, I guess that reality of the dream of marrying my first boyfriend didn’t seem possible but here is the lesson; never give up on the dream for there is always a chance that maybe, maybe one day it will come true.

I have to say it was an emotional moment as I walked down the aisle on my dad’s arm (Melvyn Jones) knowing that 60 years and two weeks ago, he had walked down that very aisle with my mum (Glenys Jones) as his bride. As they walked behind us that day, I think the emotion caught them too. I have always looked at my parents’ marriage as an example of how I want mine to be, full of love, trust and support; always looking out for each other, never letting a special moment go by without holding onto it to make a memory and on parting whether for work or shopping never leaving each other without a hug!

I am certainly blessed to have them share our day and grateful to them for showing me by example how to live the dream and always stand by each other whatever the season.

So, enjoy the autumn, never lose sight of your dream and hold onto the fact that one day it could indeed be your reality.