Lyn and John's Wedding Chamber!

30 May 2008

Lyn and John and the All Saints' Chorus

NEWHAM MP Lyn Brown turned the House of Commons into a Wedding Chamber when she became the first sitting woman MP for many years to hold her marriage and reception in the Palace of Westminster.

It was an incredibly happy occasion as Lyn wed partner, events manager John Cullen in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, to join the select band of Mps married there.

And the Houses of Parliament became East London for the day as Lyn and John's family and friends celebrated the unique occasion.

West Ham MP Lyn had her own All Saints Choir as the talented performers of All Saints Church Chorus, West Ham, of which Lyn is patrol, gave a magnificent performance, writes COLIN GRAINGER, Editor.

The couple had made sure everyone felt welcome with a host of nice touches and surprises for guests.

A display of photographs of the couple through the years greeted guests on arrival for refreshments at Westminster Hall, following the usual security checks.

The service was conducted by Canon Robert Wright, rector of St Margaret's Church and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

The choir was made up of members of the All Saints Chorus, with musical director and organist John Cullen, who is Director of Music at West Ham Parish Church and conductor of the Chorus and Orchestra.

Readings came from Janice Brown and John B Cullen and MP Sarah McCarthy-Fry and Chris Bryant, a parliamentary aide to Harriet Harman, the Labour deputy leader and a former Anglican curate, gave a reading. Traditional in many senses with hymns like Jerusalem, there was What a Wonderful World from the Chorus and the traditional wedding anthems were supported by an exit to The Red Flag to make it a real Wedding Party!

The chapel of St Mary Undercroft was previously St Stephen's Chapel and is of considerable significance in the history of English architecture. In 1911 it was the place that Miss Emily Davison, a suffragette, hid herself illegally on the night of the census. It was also, falsely, rumoured to be the place Guy Fawkes storied his barrels of Gunpowder. On Saturday it was the page boy and young bridesmaids who stole the show, dropping petals in a procession that lit up the building!

Minsters and MP s, including Newham's two other MP s Stephen Timms and Jim Fitpatrick and their wives, and parliamentary and Labour Party guests joined friends and families for the occasion. A photographic session in Westminster Hall was followed by a reception in a marquee on the fantastic River Terrace of the Houses of Parliament.

The Chorus' performance was praised by everyone and they got a fantastic thank you from the couple with a group photograph in the House of Commons lobby.

Lyn and John had arranged a children's entertainer for little ones at the event, and House of Commons staff seemed to enjoy every minute of the occasion.

Said Lyn: "It was a truly wonderful day and was made so for us by everyone who attended. It was something we will treasure for the rest of our lives.