BEN is fulfilling his first public duty this weekend, and quite frankly I am bricking it. He is due to be a page boy at my brother-in-laws wedding. All very cute and so on but not sure if my extended family thought it through.

Don’t get me wrong it is a major honour and I can’t wait to see him in his little suit but I fear for how he will cope with the weight of the responsibility.

My worries stem from the suit fitting we went to. All very lovely until he had to put the suit jacket on. Which he eventually did, but as soon as he had it on it was off again. Not sure if it was the shoulder pads or the fact that no where on the suit did it feature a picture of his beloved Thomas the Tank, but either way he wasn’t impressed.

This does not bode well for the actual day when I am praying (literally as it is a church affair) that it remains on for the duration of the service.

I am hoping his seven-year-old cousin, who is his idol, will provide the perfect role model and show him that suit wearing is the way forward if he wants a happy and trouble free day.

Then there is the service itself, anything up to an hour it could be. Ben, on a wooden stool? For an hour? Jog on, I believe the phrase is. Being a bridesmaid myself I also have certain duties to perform so keeping him in check while wrestling with a bouquet and a wedding dress train is not looking likely.

Therefore my wedding extras will not be including the usual lip gloss, tights and tissues, but a box of raisins, sweets where the colour doesn’t come off in his hands, and a small miniature wind-up Thomas. Surely this will be enough to keep him amused throughout the ceremony?

I have visions of him running onto the altar, singing the ‘okey cokey when we should be reciting the Lords Prayer or running up to the groom and demanding a piggy back midway through his vows.

Oh well we shall see. I just want him to get through the ceremony without drawing any unnecessary attention to himself other than drawing ‘ooos’ and ‘ahhhs’ from the congregation, as he walks (not runs like a horse) down the aisle. We live in hope.