At last! We've got a Poet, (Robert Service), a Footballer (Tom Finney) and a Drinker (Freddie Flintoff), so it's nice to add a writer of quality fiction to the pantheon.

Oh, and John Inman.

has a very beautiful voice.

The trio who comprise my small circle of friends are the kind of people who are never going to settle down, regardless of whether they might like to or not. It's glaringly obvious that we are all far too weird and damaged to make any kind of long-term cohabitation scenario work. I worry more about the possibility of a new ice age than I do about ducking out of their weddings.

My sensible friends - the ones who I went to school with, and who I now see maybe once a year, rightly assumed that I wouldn't be interested in seeing them get married and as a consequence I was never invited to any of their ceremonies. I like to think this was because they collectively recognised that I would find the occasion uncomfortable, although I suppose it's also possible that when it came to sending out invitations either the bride, the groom, or both said: "There is no way we're inviting him."

My younger brother's wedding was a thing of great expense with a ceremony/honeymoon in Jamaica and various other parties and celebrations back on English soil. A year later he separated from his wife.

My other brother meanwhile did something completely out of character: He disappeared one day and then phoned from somewhere in the north of England to announce that he had married a girl who he had met in a death metal chatroom on the internet, and had never seen in person until a few hours ago. They ceremony took place in a registry office with strangers as witnesses. There was no reception, no presents, no first dance, speeches or toasts. 14 years later they are still together.

... the only people there were my wife, myself, the registrar and two witnesses who were strangers to us. One of the witnesses took photos and the other cried!

We decided to elope mainly because, for various reasons, neither of our mothers could be present. Still took a fair bit of organisation and we surprised my father-in-law and his wife en-route to our 1 night honeymoon (in Niagara Falls).

The podcast talk of cosmetic surgery reminded me of the best-ever line in The Archers - Pat Archer speaking of her sister-in-law Lillian's appearance after a face lift: "She looks like a Siamese cat in a wind tunnel."

And yes, Patrick, I couldn't agree more. Laura Barton's speaking voice is as beautiful as I imagined from reading her thoughts on music.

When my wife and I married (34 years ago, six months after a blind date) it was in a ceremony conducted by a friend in a garden, in a ceremony we'd written ourselves.

The music was by two friends on guitar: a song written about us, and Dylan's "Wedding Song". Plus an unscheduled one; while drinks were being handed round to everyone for a participative moment, one of the two singers decided on a song to keep things flowing, so she sang ...

"Help Me Make It Through the Night"!

And here we are 34 years later, still waiting for our first argument.

... Laura Barton's "Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll" columns in the Guardian are the most wonderful little reflections on the power & glory of music. Splendid podcast as usual.

I was once at a wedding reception and my daughter asked me why I looked so tense. I said I found it impossible to relax until Dancing Queen had been and gone. It was the next song.

I'm all for more Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran at weddings.

american tennis player called "Mardy Fish". Mardy has a wife apparently who not content with being attorney is also a "Briefcase Model" on the american versionof "deal or no deal" and one would assume she also gets a " Mard" on once in while!

of one of those civil partnerships we hear so much about these days?.

Congratulations Mr H and Mr E - only confirmed what we've all suspected for years....

I once joined in on an extended rant with a busker in Buchanan Street complaining about the sheer volume of the rug-clad incas further down the street who had a PA that would left U2 feeling inadequate. It was so loud that no other street performers could be heard, even if you were walking past pointing an ear trumpet in their direction.

though I was astonished by the statement near the end that Patti Smith looks great. I've never seen her in real life but the camera definitely lies if that is true.

I'd love a writer of Laura's quality to write regularly in The Word. Today, The Guardian printed to interviews by her as well as her usual column but I still feel she's a bit wasted in a national newspaper read by millions!

I was thrilled and delighted to be briefly featured in the podcast... I know it is of minor interest, but David did mention Chloe Mason's wedding dance. As the husband of said Chloe Mason i can confirm we did choose Jimi Hendrix as our first dance, "Little Wing" in fact. Apart from being a beautiful song, its key advantage is that it is very short, thus minimizing the time spent awkwardly slow dancing like school disco teenagers in front of our friends and family. I don't remember any "bangs and flashes" preceding, but i may have been overwhelmed by the occasion and failed to notice some spectacular introductory event. Coincidentally, we did also name our tables at lunch after Grand Prix circuits. David and Mark wouldn't remember as lunch was just for family and they came in the evening. I don't think Laura was there, so the wedding she mentions must have been a different one. We did have an excuse, which I won't bore you with here, and it made us happy at the time... So, anyway, to the bride and groom - cheers!

I agree with tiggerlion.

Laura is one special writer.

I loved this column on singing in Staithes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/12/popandrock.laurabarton

I thought it was Beth Orton, the bloke who does the drains and that chap who narrated Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth's son, nope?

In a feeble attempt to drum up controversy on this thread, may I state that Mark Ellen is soooo wrong about the merits of Come On Eileen as a good song for a wedding disco. Sure, the intro gets the punters onto the floor, but the beat is in the wrong place. It puts everyone onto the front foot and leaves even the most accomplished shimmier looking like a farmhand stamping on cockroaches.

And then that gap in the middle! All of a sudden, you have a floor full of vaguely embarrassed people, not sure what to do with either their hands or their feet, waiting desperately for the beat to pick up so they can resume some vague sort of synchronisation with the rhythm again.

If you are ever on the pull at a wedding disco, my sincere advice is never, ever go near the dance floor during Come On Eileen. Dexy's, Nein Danke!

I first promoted Laura Barton's writing here in 2007, so I very much enjoyed this podcast. The lack of a Wigan accent was a bit disappointing, though. Perhaps the drinks cabinet can be left open next time?

female goods, is it like to do with... y'kna sex n'stuff?