Bus just the ticket for happy couple
"A single to the Civic Centre."
Not exactly the most romantic first words but it was enough to strike South Ribble bus driver with Cupid's arrow.
And, less than two years after that first meeting, blushing bride Joy Smith got a lift to church for her wedding in the same way she first met her new husband, Stephen Mortlock – on board a bus.
In her best frock she stepped aboard a John Fishwick and Sons bus outside the Black Bull pub on Dunkirk Lane, Leyland, and took the ride of her life to the Civic Cente.
Joy, 51, said: "We first met in December 2003, he was driving the bus and I was coming to work at 7am, so you can imagine how I looked at that time of the morning.
"But, we hit it off straight away. Everyone who used to get his bus loved Stephen because he was always so chirpy and making people laugh.
"It really was love at first sight, even though my first look at him was behind the wheel."
After picking up the wedding special bus service, the South Ribble Council admin worker became the new Mrs Mortlock in a service at the Civic Centre - just down the corridor from her office.
Several drivers from John Fishwick were given the afternoon off to attend the service, swapping their driver's uniforms for tuxedos, while Joy's council colleagues put in a special shift to attend on Saturday afternoon.
The couple, who live at The Laund in Leyland, spent the Bank Holiday weekend honeymooning in Amsterdam before returning home today.
Joy said: "As we got to know each other, I used to sit on the bus when he was driving and people who were regular passengers got to know us as the 'bus couple', and I got to know everyone he works with at Fishwicks.
"People always said I should get picked up by one of their buses on my wedding day, so it was great we managed to pull it off. "
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Weather for Preston
Thursday 29 July 2010
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 15 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 15 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
