A loved-up couple’s wedded bliss got off to a ‘bumpy’ start as they departed their dream day in a DODGEM car. There was no dodging proceedings for newly weds Keith and Shirley Minshull, from Amington, at the Castle Hotel on Friday, July 29.
Keith, aged 61, a forklift truck driver, and Shirley, aged 55, a HGV driver, travelled from the town centre hotel and wedding venue to the picturesque Castle Grounds to have their official photographs taken in the transport provided by whacky inventor Mark Harper.
Shirley explained: “Keith has a condition called generalised dystonia and to walk from the Castle Hotel to the bandstand would have been quite a challenge. I went to the wedding fair a few months ago and I told Mark and he said about the dodgem. I then saw Mike at the hotel and he said to go and see Mark and he would sort us out with one of the dodgems.
“So having heard that for the second time, although I was still a bit sceptical, I thought there must be something in this. I went back to Mark and we had a real good chat and from there I booked it.
“I still had the odd doubt or two because even up until that last minute it was a secret to Keith. I told him I had got a surprise and to go with it even if he was not sure. And bless him, he did.
“I didn’t think I would get in with that dress but we got in there! It was a good laugh, lots of people were looking on and felt compelled to say congratulations. I think they were quite in awe of two people all dolled up in their wedding gear on a dodgem!
“The Castle Hotel have been absolutely terrific, we cannot praise them highly enough because our day was perfect. Everybody, all of the guests, said how great everything was. We were blessed with the weather too which made it even more perfect.”
The couple, who met online and have been together for eight years, are now enjoying their honeymoon in Tenerife.
Mark said: “I was attending the Castle Hotel’s wedding fair for my DJ services earlier this year. A lovely person came up to me and said they were getting married at the hotel and after a short chat, she said would like to book my disco services.
“I had an extended chat with Shirley about the wedding day plans, as I always do with my clients and Shirley told me that her husband to be may have a struggle accessing the Castle Grounds where the photographs are to be taken.
“Everyone who knows me knows that I have many quirky bespoke vehicles I use on events all the way round the country and in Tamworth. I showed Shirley a picture of one of my dodgem cars and asked if this would be suitable transport for Keith to travel down for the photos as it would be something very different indeed.
“I could see from the moment Shirley set her eyes on the picture of the gold dodgem she absolutely loved it. The dodgem is a class three mobility scooter based item and can travel up footpaths so this was the ideal transport for the occasion.
“On the day of the wedding just after the ceremony, the wedding party lined the street and Keith was brought out to his surprise transport. The look on his face made it all so worthwhile, as you can see from the images it was perfect.
“I can honestly say it was an absolute privilege to offer such a lovely couple something a little bit different for their special day. Shirley and Keith are a smashing couple and I would like to wish them both a very happy future together.”
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This content was originally published here.