A Newly-wed couple had a breathtaking start to married life when their marriage was blessed at the top of the longest rollercoaster in the world.

Jason and Sharon Neate, of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, travelled to the 60ft high top of The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley theme Park, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, for the blessing on Saturday.

Jason, who knew nothing about the plans, said: "It was a complete shock to me. I thought I was just coming away for the weekend but when we drove up to the gates at Lightwater Valley, it was sprung on me.

"We both had a great day," he added.

Sharon wore a white wedding outfit and carried a bouquet for the blessing, which was conducted in one of The Ultimate's carriages by the Rev Nick Bralesford, from Derbyshire.

Two choristers from the Rev Bralesford's parish were on hand to sing the happy couple on their way and drown out their screams.Jason said: "I wasn't scared but my wife was a bit nervous - but she was all right second time round."

WHEN George Ellis popped the big question to sweetheart Chris Maw he would have gone on bended knee - except they were dangling 100ft in the air at the time.

There was only one knot in need of tying as love-struck abseiling enthusiasts George and Chris descended a sheer drop at York College of Further and Higher Education.

And when George asked for her hand in marriage, there was no need for Chris to let him down gently. "I said yes straight away," she said.

George said: "We were both a bit nervous coming down the wall and asking her to marry me didn't really make it much worse."

George, who is partially sighted, and Chris, who is blind, were helping to raise money for the Royal National Institute for the Blind in Saturday's abseil.

Chris said: "Abseiling is great fun and being blind means you aren't aware of the height. I don't think of myself as being very high up."George added: "I tell her she is four storeys up and it makes no difference."

The couple met on holiday in Devon.

Fundraisers spent Saturday morning at the York College of Further and Higher Education, on Tadcaster Road, in aid of the RNIB. The cash will be used to help send blind and visually-impaired children on holiday.

BROWNIE leader Nicola Newton left her uniform at home and wore an ivory wedding dress as she married Scout troop leader Paul Jefferson.

Paul , 28, the leader of the 1st Malton Scouts, also opted for traditional garb as he wed 24-year-old Nicola - leader of the Flaxton Brownie Pack and an assistant leader with Foss District Rangers.

But there were plenty of uniforms on view as about 60 youngsters from the Scout, Brownie and Ranger groups formed a guard of honour for the newlyweds leaving All Saints' Church, Huntington, after the ceremony.

The youngsters, some of whom acted as ushers in church, enjoyed their own celebration at Waterworld in York while the grown-ups went on to the wedding reception.

Paul, whose best man was group Scout leader Peter Webb, works as an assistant manager at Tesco's Clifton Moor store in York.

Nicola, whose chief bridesmaid was Ranger leader Claire Peel, recently started work as a children's nurse at York District Hospital, having qualified earlier this year.

The couple, who have just bought a house in New Earswick, first met in 1990 when they took part in an international camp in Iceland.

Paul said: "We can't quite remember whether we first met at Glasgow Airport, on the plane or in Iceland itself. If it hadn't been for Scouting and Guiding, we wouldn't have met."

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