"Thurs. wed."

We don't usually read The Times, but in Cornwall it was bought by our hostess. I happened to glance at the Forthcoming Marriages in Thursday's edition, and spotted the announcement of Katie and Rob's. (He's Dewhurst: hence - doh! - the anagrammatic heading.) Prior notice had in fact been given us of this happy news; and we heard how Rob, a while before popping the question, had flown over from Australia - to question the pop, who was sunning himself in a deckchair on the lawn.

This photograph of Katie and brother Pad was taken on the same lawn almost 24 years ago to the day.

Leo & Mini

Thomas took this excellent photograph in August: Leo and his fiancée, Katsumi Ikushima, known to the world as Mini, are now formally engaged. In The Times, there is a Guest Book for them: do sign in! You can see half a dozen other photographs of them on The Times' site also, in their Photo Gallery.

The wedding is now fixed for May next year, to take place in England, with another ceremony in Kyoto in October: we shall be flying out!

Our Aga saga

Thanks to Google Analytics, I can tell that my blog has been read in 23 countries - what they must make of it in South Korea, I am not sure - but nobody has so far tuned in from Japan.

Which is just as well, as the Davis family has some exciting news that is highly Japan-sensitive for the present: Leo and Mini are planning to be married next Summer! Even as I write, Mini is on the coach to London Airport to catch her plane home to Osaka: Leo follows in a fortnight, having by then perfected the Japanese for "May I have your daughter's hand in marriage please?", and they will both return next month, it is hoped as a formally engaged couple.

There seemed to be something funny in the kitchen air late on Tuesday evening as I walked in after my Film Society. Though I had already said Bon voyage to Mini before leaving, she and Leo were still there by the Aga, but looking rather pink.

Leo had agreed with Mini that she could decide when to announce the engagement. So - without Leo knowing - she had sidled up to Caroline after supper and said, "I would like to be your daughter-in-law." "Well, that would be very nice," replied Caroline, "but doesn't it rather depend on Leo?" And so the news came out.