Breakdown puts hitch in big day plans

Janet Ellison had to hitch a lift to her daughter’s wedding in a passing farmer’s 4x4 after the campervan she hired broke down.

She had paid £1070 for the VW and a Cadillac from Waterside Weddings, based in Rutherglen, near Glasgow.

But the big day got off to a bad start when sparks began flying from the rear of the vehicle.

Janet, 55, of Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, said: “We were 45 minutes away and motorists began flagging the driver down. There was a smell of fuel and sparks everywhere.”

The driver blamed the exhaust and tried to fix it but Janet, the bridesmaids and the photographer, who were travelling in the VW, were terrified to get back in.

She said: “The driver phoned his boss who said he would send another vehicle but we didn’t have time.”

The wedding, on July 15 at Dalduff Farm, Maybole, was delayed 45 minutes. She complained and Waterside Weddings offered to refund £150, which she was not happy with.

I got on to the firm, who said there had been a minor issue with the van’s exhaust but offered a £ 250 refund.

They added: “The party decided to write off the campervan when it was more than capable of carrying on.

“But we have accepted our chauffeur was unprofessional.

“We’ve offered a fair figure as a gesture of goodwill.”