Bride gets to church on time

It was a case of hard hats and illuminated jackets for a guard of honour as Dudley teacher Marie Clarke travelled to her wedding in Stourport today.

Roadworkers repairing Stourport's historic bridge, which was officially closed to traffic, stopped work to let the bridal party pass and presented Marie with a lucky horseshoe token.

Dressed in a traditional ivory satin, boned and beaded, dress with a long train, veil and tiara, Marie looked a picture as she travelled alongside her father Michael Clarke, to St Bartholomew's Church in a horse and carriage.

Marie, a 26-year-old teacher at Thorns Community College, Quarry Bank, feared her dreams of a fairy trip to marry Neil Stobbart, also a teacher at Dovecotes Primary School, Tettenhall, would be marred because of work on the bridge.

The closure of the bridge for repairs this weekend means traffic faced a detour, which would have been too far for the horse.

But kindhearted workers with contractors Edmund Nuttall decided to down tools to ensure she got to the church on time and had her dream wedding. Marie, of Arley Kings, said: "I went to meet the workmen yesterday and met them in person to say thank you. They opened up the bridge specially for me to ensure I got to the church on time. They have been absolutely wonderful."

Andrea Bennett, spokesman for the contractors said: "When we heard that Marie would not be able to have the horse and carriage she really wanted for her wedding we decided we had to do everything we could to ensure she could get across the bridge."