IT was a service to celebrate marriage, to sing about it and sometimes - marriage is a democracy in which the woman has two votes, it was said - to laugh about it, too. Like Noah's Ark, the congregation came in two by two, the church so full that some of them can't have been closer for years.

Menfolk had not only forsaken all other but - yet more sacrificially - forsaken the one day cricket international, in order to re-plight their troth.

Even the lady of this blessed house was in attendance, though a little nervous at the prospect of renewing wedding vows. "Why," she protested, "they don't expire do they?"

In the event the whole thing went wonderfully, as weddings days should. Marriage? Don't you just love it.

The service was at the church of St Michael and All Angels in Barningham, a green and particularly pleasant Teesdale village which is in the county of Durham but the diocese of Ripon and Leeds.

As if by way of matrimonial conciliation, the cricket field is partly in Durham and partly in North Yorkshire, so that even the most humble batsman can claim in truth that he smote the ball into the next county.

St Michael's takes marriage seriously, too, a new west window in tribute to that noble institution due to be installed in the autumn. Much of the £3,500 cost has already been raised, though donations would still greatly be welcomed.

The service was at 5pm, the congregation mostly shirt sleeved, those more formally attired furiously fanning themselves with the order of service.

It was led by Christopher Cowper, the rector, and Christine, his wife of 36 years, who is a lay reader.

We sang not only Love Divine All Loves Excelling and Lord of All Hopefulness but Getting to Know You and When I'm 64 - a song, the lady recalled with a shudder, which Cherie Blair had sung to the Prime Minister.

Though the singing was generally splendid, there's a tricky little chorus in When I'm 64 about a cottage on the Isle of Wight. It has to be said that The Beatles made a bit better fist of it than Barningham did.

David Ferrari, who at the beginning had played the Trumpet Voluntary, rendered thereafter an affectionate A-Z of his wedding at St Michael's five years ago.

A, he said, was for ale - "None of this would have happened if it wasn't for beer" - and B for Black Sheep, the Masham brewery which makes a particularly potent pint called Riggwelter.

"You only need one bottle to get your courage up," said David, by way of innocent proposal.

D was for Dumfries and Galloway, where they'd honeymooned, I for in-laws - David's father-in-law wasn't very fond of Tony Blair, either - L for the lovely Louise, stuck on the east coast main railway line in a carriage with no air conditioning.

The congregation had also been invited to write little phrases which summed up a happy marriage onto little heart-shaped slips, to be read out by the rector.

There was give and take, of course, tolerance, togetherness and humour but someone else supposed that the secret was always having the fridge full. "That comes from the heart," said Mr Cowper.

Another contributor had been through the dictionary of quotations, thoughts on matrimony from Jilly Cooper, who supposed that a happy marriage was the best thing that life had to offer, to whoever it was who imagined that a successful marriage wasn't a gift, but an achievement.

None gave a thought to poor Billy Connelly, who immortally reckoned that marriage was a wonderful invention, but so was a bicycle repair kit.

They'd also kept a report of the recent 80th wedding anniversary of Florence and Percy Arrowsmith, aged 100 and 105, in which Florence waxed philosophical and Percy supposed that the secret of a happy marriage could be summed up in two words: "Yes, dear."

The lady of this house preferred AA Milne:

What would I do

I said to Pooh,

If it wasn't for you

And Pooh said true

It isn't much fun for one...

Afterwards there was confetti, champagne and a cake cut by Kendal and Muriel Burt and John and Greta Carter, married together at Barningham 45 years ago. ("It was so we didn't get mixed up," said Kendal, but probably they did, anyway.)

Around our feet, a delightful young lady called Chloe, aged 12 months or so, sat on the rectory lawn eating wedding cake as if determined to acquire a lifetime's taste for it. Though summer storms were gathering elsewhere, in wedding dressed Barningham all seemed set fair. Billy Connelly was quite right.

l Barningham parish church hosts a "Best foot forward" day in the village next Saturday, which includes a "long" walk from 11am-1pm and a "family" walk from 2-3pm. (Details 01833 621217). There'll also be stalls, stands, games, refreshments and admission to Barningham Park - £2, children free.

In September, Mr Cowper leads parishioners along all or part of the 98 mile Teesdale Way from Dufton Fell to the South Gare at Redcar to raise funds for the church and for Dr Bill Lamb's charity to provide insulin pumps for young people. The "wedding window" has been designed by Joanna Hedley, whose parents live nearby, at Wycliffe. Donations would also be welcomed towards that.

ST Paul's church at Hunwick, between Bishop Auckland and Willington, holds a flower festival on the theme of "Saints and Sacraments" from 10am-6pm today and 11am-5pm tomorrow. Tonight in church there's a concert by Fishburn Brass Band - tickets, £7.50, available on the door - and tomorrow at 10am Carillon will sing a festival Mass. A songs of praise service concludes the event at 6pm.

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