Can you remember what you were doing 12 years ago today?

I can. The events of the day are stamped on my brain with indelible ink. Mine and a few other people's as well, a few hundred other people to be precise!

12 years ago today, for the very first time ever in my life, I fainted. In front of a church full of about 200 people. And then, about 8 minutes later, I did it again.

I know you can tell I'm leaving something out in the detail here, and that would be right. Because Friday 29th March 1996 also happened to be my wedding day, but what transpired to be a nasty dose of vertigo turned what should have been a serene day into a bit of a pantomime.

For context: Vertigo is the sensation of spinning even when you are standing completely still. Your surroundings appear to be moving either vertically or horizontally. Some people feel that they are actually spinning. The effect may be slight and only just noticeable, or it may be so severe that you fall to the ground. That was my type.

So we're all standing at the front of the church during the first hymn, Be Thou my Vision, when suddenly I find myself sitting on the front pew. Apparently I had blacked out completely, had been caught on the way down by my (not quite) husband and placed there whilst everyone else sang on, mostly oblivious to what had happened. Half the bridal party, though, had disappeared in different directions to try and secure a glass of water, smelling salts, towels and hot water or whatever people look for in an emergency!

The Elder from the church who was marrying us (I attended a Brethern assembly at that time, hence no minister) made the sensible decision to carry on as if nothing had happened which was exactly what we wanted to happen.

And we did, until we got to the first set of vows when I did it again. Only this time my (not quite) husband shouted 'Oh Shit!' (he was Presbyterian at the time) into the inconveniently placed microphone for the whole congregation to hear. (Our church spilt not long after we got married. I don't believe there is any direct correlation between the events, but ...)

At this stage, the Elder decided we should retire to the vestry. How I got there I'm not too sure. I have a vision of me being carried arse up over someones shoulder out the front of the church. The photographer didn't get that shot.

I was very well attended to in the vestry; luckily we had a neurologist, a cardiologist, a psychiatrist, an orthopaedic surgeon and at least three GPs attending the wedding, and actually after a few minutes break, we continued with proceedings, said everything we were supposed to say and got married.

Or at least, that's what we told the guests when we returned to the church some 10 minutes later to a standing ovation. Who can say for sure?? ;-)