MORRIS men took over Priory Park in Malvern as they put on a colourful showing to give one of their own a wedding day to remember.

Norrie Stewart is a member of Ledbury’s Silurian Border Morris Men.

When he told his fellow members that he would be getting married to Claire Bradnock – now Mrs Stewart – they told him there was “no way in the world” they would be missing his big day.

And, true to their word, they were outside Malvern Registry Office forming a guard of honour in their distinctive traditional outfits as they waited for the happy couple, who are from Malvern, to emerge.

The celebrations then moved the short distance into Priory Park, with music and dancing around the bandstand, much to the delight of passers-by.

“We more or less owned the park for about an hour and quite a crowd gathered around,” said Mr Stewart.

“Once word got out that I was tying the knot it very quickly became a Silurian wedding and they did us proud. It was a superb day.”

Mrs Stewart used to be a morris dancer in London, and so took “no convincing at all” to have the Silurians as part of her big day.

“A morris wedding is definitely something a bit different and perhaps not exactly normal, but we would not have had it any other way,” she said.

The Silurian Border Morris Men will be doing their thing again in Ledbury tonight as part of the town’s Poetry Festival, and then have a royal appointment to perform in front of the Queen when she visits Hereford on Wednesday, July 11.