Trivial Fact of the Day features Church Stretton and Boris Johnson

It's well known to readers of this blog that Boris Johnson was married in the Shropshire village of West Felton.

Andrew Gimson told the story in the first of his many biographies of the former prime minister:

He also arrived for his own wedding without the right clothes. As Allegra said, after relating the story of the ring: "What's more, he was wearing John Biffen's trousers at the time ... Some weeks later I had to send the mo rtgagees our wedding certificate, but it was nowhere to be found. Naturally Bozzer showed not the slightest interest. Months later the Biffens were much amused to find the missing document in the pocket of the famous trousers."

When Lady Biffen was reminded that Boris got married in her husband's trousers, she replied with indignation: "And in his cufflinks, and the reason he didn't get married in my husband's shoes is that his feet were larger - he would have limped to the altar, which would have been worse than the holes in the soles of his own shoes."

Allegra is his first wife Allegra Mostyn-Owen, of whom it was once said: "She speaks to you as though she were launching a ship."

It turns out that Johnson's nuptial connection with Shropshire, and his inefficiency, did not end there.

I'm currently reading Simon Kuper's Chums: How a Tiny Caste of Oxford Tories Took Over the UK. Here he quotes an article in the Oxford Student magazine Isis from late 1987 - its author clearly hadn't been asked to the wedding:

It has been one of the trademarks of Boris Johnson to turn shambling eccentricity into a smart career move. It helped him win the Captaincy of Eton, the Presidency of the Union, and the hand of socialite Allegra Mostyn-Owen. Their wedding this summer in Shropshire seemed to mark a new stage in his life. For once Boris was in control.

But as guests enjoyed the lavish reception, Boris and Allegra set off for their honeymoon to spend their wedding night NOT in romantic Egypt but in nearby Church Strutton [sic; actually Church Stretton]. True to form, Boris had completely forgotten that one needs visas to visit Egypt.

But where did they stay? The photo above shows the Longmynd Hotel, which must be a strong candidate, though an upmarket guest house such as Jinlye must is another possibility.

It's the photo of the hotel I've gone for above, but wherever they stayed, we can be sure that Boris took Allegra up The Lawley.