I was born and educated, in Africa, and have lived in England, since 1979. My paternal grandparents were Scottish and my other grandmother was Cornish.
My wife and I were married, in a Humanist ceremony, in 1999, I trained as a Celebrant, in 2007, I have also served as a member of The Humanist U.K. Training Team and still support new trainees, as a Mentor.
Among the things that I have learned most about, at Namings and Welcoming Ceremonies, is to expect the unexpected and be ready to improvise and be flexible. Small babies don’t always respect the established protocols about when to go to sleep or when to wake up or be fed or changed. Very young children, or sometimes their slightly older siblings, can, though, often be relied upon to respond, spontaneously and endearingly, to a situation, win the hearts and minds of all around them and totally upstage unsuspecting celebrants like me. That is part of the charm of Naming and Welcoming ceremonies. They are fun and they are meaningful and they allow parents – whether single parents or couples – and their families, to actively demonstrate their commitment and support and to attest the value which they place on the burgeoning of a new life. I think that it is paramount that couples and families have choice in how to mark special and significant landmarks. I am aware that you have choice and, if you are sufficiently generous and trusting to inviting others, like me, to be a part of your ceremony I shall work hard to justify that trust and to ensure that you get what they want and to try to add value through my experiences of what might, or might not, work. I do not take any of this for granted. It is an honour, a responsibility and a great privilege and I look forward to meeting you and working alongside you, to tell your story and to give your ceremonies special and lasting meaning which you can treasure.
