• last month
The blind date wedding couple , Alex and Sue Tatham revisit the Pelsall Church where they married 33 years ago to open the wedding fayre which marks the 180th birthday of the church.
Transcript
00:00Good morning, good morning, here we are. We're here, we've laid it up for London this morning so
00:06we're delighted to be back in Pelthorne because 33 years ago, you're absolutely right,
00:12at two o'clock, so we're a little early, a nervous bridegroom stood on this very spot
00:21in a packed St Michael church. On each side, there was a cameraman, up there was a film crew,
00:35they all dressed in morning suits, I don't think they liked it very much,
00:39and there were some 5,000 people, that's half the population of Pelthorne, outside.
00:47The church bells rang, as you've just heard them, flowers adorned every nook and cranny
00:56of this fantastic building. The scaffolding had been removed from the tower, if you remember,
01:04and the roof fully restored. Somehow the money had been found, I'm not quite sure why,
01:11and the only person more nervous than the groom was Father David Mawson,
01:20the vicar here, whose upcoming work was not only going to be judged by God,
01:27my mother, my mother-in-law,
01:32but by 17 million TV viewers. And on the dot of two o'clock, actually it wasn't quite two,
01:40because you were late, because the bridal party had been held up by Sim Mayo,
01:48if you remember, the owner of Pelthorne's hardware stall, and he was dressed up as a chimney sweep,
01:58and a huge cheer went up, of course, outside, and there was a vision coming down the aisle
02:06of a beautiful bride at the door. If the Church of England had wanted a better showcase for a
02:14wedding, then only the archbishop, I think, was missing. And that is, of course, until today,
02:23when Pelthorne once again showcases all that is fabulous and beautiful about a church wedding.
02:31And most importantly, I have that beautiful vision of a bride that lit up this church
02:39and the whole country. I have the altar by my side. This is a wonderful church,
02:48into a wonderful community village, and I can think of no better place for a couple to be
02:55married. It has been celebrating weddings now for 180 years, and I, my beautiful wife, whom I love
03:05so very much, St Michael and all of his angels can declare today's wedding fair open.
03:30You would make a beautiful bride today, I think.
03:32Congratulations.
03:33Thank you so much. Thank you.

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