Today is our first anniversary...the big "paper" milestone! Congratulations to my amazing wife for suffering a whole 12 months as Mrs Cambule. This special weekend we have celebrated with a weekend away in Bristol, treating Mrs C to a night out at her favourite musical 'The Band' featuring the music of Take That.
It takes me back to the wedding and my Grooms speech, which many of our guests have told me was one of the highlights of the day (and I didn't even have to pay them to say it). I spent weeks crafting and fine-tuning my speech to incorporate the lyrics and song titles of the legendary boyband. Nobody knew about it but I think I pulled it off. I certainly had my new mother-in-law (another obsessed Thatter) beaming in delight!
There were many things about that day that I remember fondly. The first dance (with a special vocal performance), photographs on the beach, gorgeous food at the Wedding Breakfast, walking down the aisle to our secret surprise (a very talented guitarist). Then there were some regrets such as the beautiful evening buffet that neither the bride or groom sampled. But without doubt, it was an incredible, memorable day for Mrs C and I to remember for the rest of our lives.
The next day, I become unemployed.
That's right, the day after my wedding was the last day I was technically employed by the Civil Service. A massive decision after 19 years in the same company, 15 of which were spent building my professional career as a programme and project manager. I left because I needed a change in direction, a new challenge, an opportunity to spread my wings and I can honestly say that it was the best decision I had made since...turning up at the wedding the day before (just kidding, Mrs C)!
In the 12 months since our wonderful wedding, a lot has happened in my life and I have faced many challenges. One of the best things about having a wife who cares deeply for you is that there is another person looking out for your mental wellbeing. She genuinely does understand and empathise with the challenges of looking after your mental health. I am proud that in these twelve months I had had the chance to participate in the Time to Change Wales campaign, something I needed to do and am so proud to have done.
So what about the next 12 months? We have some massive plans for Casa Cambule and hopefully future editions of the Lens will shed some light on those plans. No matter what, I look forward to continuing to build on an incredible 12 months of married life and give something back to the woman who has made me the happiest I have ever been in my life. Starting by going to see Gary Barlow live and in person...