Speech by Martin Shepherd

Speech Type: Best man
Speech Creator: Martin Shepherd
Speech Date: 23/03/2015 22:29:04

Ladies and Gentlemen

Well I must say that I have been quite nervous about making this speech. In fact this is the fifth time today that I have got off a warm seat with pieces of paper in my hand.

Before I undertake the customary duty of giving Adam an uncomfortable few minutes it is part of the official duty of the best man to thank Adam, on behalf of the bridesmaids, for his kind words and for having them play a part of this really special day. I have to say they all look wonderful and have done an excellent job. Indeed they are only eclipsed by Harpreet herself, who, I'm sure you'll all agree, looks absolutely stunning.

I had wanted to begin by telling you a little about Adam's years growing up and, given that pictures usually paint a thousand words, I wanted to find a photo to represent this period to show you all… so I asked around. In my quest I was sent a cute photo of Adam lying on a sheepskin rug, in his birthday suit, dribbling, his cheeky grin covered in the chocolate from a biscuit held in his hand; as I say I was looking to get a photo to enlarge and present to you today but given this photo was taken only last week I thought it might cause a little too much embarrassment….

Whilst I didn't know Adam during childhood, he has recounted tales of his formative years in the time I have known him; I therefore feel I've a reasonable impression – it is clear where his passions lay, in particular his love of all things rural – Adam often talks fondly about his childhood years plucking chickens and Morris dancing. No doubt you'll all have heard the story of how Adam's choreography secured a very easy win for East Anglia's under-14s Morris dancing troupe beating Wiltshire in 1983’s Morris Dancing National finals. If he's told that story once he's told it a hundred times. Lesser known perhaps is that under Adam's leadership East Anglia juniors went on to win two further Morris dancing trophies at Regional competitions.

Aside from that I'm afraid I can't say much more about the first half of Adam's life but I can say something of the last 20 years as it was in 1992 that I actually met Adam at Kings College London University; we were both there studying Environmental Science…it became quickly apparent that Adam had a natural flair for the subject….no matter how remote a place Adam was sent away on field trips, he could gauge and interpret the direction of the wind, the contamination of the soil and the pollution of the air to produce an accurate assessment of where the nearest local pub was to skive off for a couple of pints.

Rather unprophetically for a man whose birthday falls on international labour day, it took three years post-graduation for Adam to enter gainful employment. But that said, in those years that he wasn't in paid employment, Adam did spend his time constructively, studying for IT exams and publicly campaigning on a number of issues … I was incredibly impressed when Adam told me that he had joined a campaign group called FOREST. A group he campaigned for tirelessly.. I thought it was brilliant that Environmental Science studies had inspired Adam to voluntarily campaign for what I assumed to be something around protecting British and Scandinavian Forests from carbon emissions and acid rain….Adam's unrelenting commitment to the group was incredible. So it came as something of a surprise when Adam pointed out that F-O-R-E-S-T was in fact the acronym for the Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco…but lets not let that technicality detract from what was still inspirational commitment to a cause.. I should say at this point that Adam has since cancelled his membership of FOREST and joined the antithesis organisation ASH ….

After University, Adam's Environmental Science degree led him to take the natural step of entering into employment in the cutthroat world of Ladies Fashion; love it or hate it sisters Adam Gowland had joined the Windsmoor Group and fashion would never be the same again – or at least their IT department wouldn't. However despite being responsible for the IT side of the business Adam took a broader interest in women's clothes and at that time there was little Adam couldn't tell you about one of Windsmoor's mid length camel hair coats or tweed skirts. Adam often boasted too about how he could accurately estimate ladies’ measurements using only his hands. When Adam was working at Windsmoor he often took his work home with him; there were occasions when his bed-sit bore close resemblance to Del Boy's living room – stacked boxes of Windsmoor seconds which he sold on his mate's girlfriends and mothers.. rather entrepreneurial I thought.

You might have gathered by now Adam that is not particularly committed to green issues in fact it is fair to say that Adam is a bit if a petrol head, although a petrol head who has had a series of misfortunes with his cars. But whatever state they are in under the bonnet and although a decade separates the age of the front and rear of his current vehicle Adam takes exceptional pride in keeping his cars clean – he has an rather unexplainable love for sitting in carwashes but seems equally enthused by polishing, waxing and chamoising his cars himself. I've never actually seen him do the latter but see that as the only explanation for why, in his bed-sit, he stashed an inordinate quantity of oils, lubricants and leather.

I mention Adam's bed-sit – for many years Adam lived in a bed-sit in what is now one of South London's most desirable post codes- Clapham Old Town. Although at the time Adam was a pioneer – arriving there (and leaving) well before it turned into the gentrified borough it has now become. Adam's bed-sit was small but convenient…it was so small that Adam found he could cook, wash up, shave, shower, iron, answer the phone, flush the toilet or open his front door without even having to leave his bed.

But all joking aside Adam I want to say what a privilege it is today to be your best man and to be here on this wonderful day. You have found someone very special and it now gives me immense pleasure to invite everyone here to stand and raise your glasses in a toast for Adam and Harpreet. We wish them well for the future. To love, life, laughter and happily ever after.. Adam and Harpreet.