Wedding on the ward for Harry and Beverley
Wedding organised in just two days after Harry admitted to hospital
HOSPITAL staff helped a patient marry his sweetheart in a ceremony organised by nurses and staff in just 48 hours.
Harry Pell, 69, and Beverley Saxton, 56, got engaged at the end of 2018 having known each other for 30 years and having been together for the past six.
They planned on getting married later this year, but brought the wedding forward after Harry was admitted to Leicester General Hospital.
The ceremony was planned and put together in two days by transforming a dayroom on ward 20 into a makeshift wedding venue.
Beverley said: “The staff have been amazing.
“It has been above and beyond, what the staff did for us. The room was beautiful.”
Family and friends turned out in force to celebrate the marriage and then stayed for the celebrations.
Beverley said: “They all said it was a pleasure to join in the ceremony and thought it was great.”
Some of the guests were members of Hinckley Mountaineering Club (HMC), of which Harry is a former member and club president.
Ian Fendell, chairman of HMC, was among them.
He said: “Harry has been a stalwart of HMC for many years and has been on numerous club excursions all over the UK and abroad, in all seasons.
“During this time, he has been a mentor to many club members of all ages, instilling confidence and passing on valuable skills in the various forms of mountaineering.”
Harry is a veteran of activities including rock and ice climbing, cycling, skiing, mountaineering, trekking, marathon running and rock scrambling.
Ian said: “Fellow members were thrilled when romance blossomed between Harry and Bev.
“She became part of the club as well and joined in activities.
“Late in 2018, Harry proposed to Bev, which again was cause for celebration within the club.”
The ceremony was organised at the last minute by the staff at the hospital.
Staff on wards 20 and 23 made the decorations for the event and brought in items from their own homes to turn the space into a room fit for the ceremony.
The hospital and staff provided a red carpet, decorations and homemade cupcakes were brought in for guests to enjoy.
Julie Godrich, sister on ward 20, said: “I am so proud of everyone who took part in organising the wedding.
“It was a joint effort by lots of different staff all over the hospital.
“Staff on ward 20 and ward 23 made the decorations and brought in items from home to dress the ward day room into a wedding venue.
“The estates department provided a red carpet for the bride to walk down and the domestic staff sorted out the room.
“Portering staff brought the chairs from other areas of the hospital and hung decorations in their break.
“Even the linen room staff provided the linen to dress the chairs for the guest.
“Matron Clair Riddell organised fresh flowers and her daughter made cupcakes for the guests and the Rev Mark Burleigh conducted the blessing.
“The staff came together showing all of Leicester’s hospitals’ values, focusing on achieving a single task and working together as one team to get it done.
“I have always been proud to be part of the NHS, it is the people who work for it who make it so special, and how all those people came together to make a great celebration will stay with me and my staff forever.”