Weddings survive floods

7:00pm Sunday 22nd July 2007

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OXFORDSHIRE'S registrar managed against all the odds to get nearly every wedding covered at the weekend - but personal disaster struck when floodwater ripped through her own home.

Jacquie Bugeja, of Shipton Road, Ascott-under-Wychwood, was one of a handful of householders affected when the River Evenlode burst its banks.

She said: "It was midnight and the dogs started barking. My husband went downstairs to investigate and the whole of the back yard was under water.

"You could hear the water coming, like a torrent, with logs in its wake.

"We rushed out into the street and there was a woman rushing along with a blanket round her and a man with a briefcase. It was dreadful.

"I've never been so frightened in my life. Cars were under water and a fire engine that came out got stranded on the village green.

"We are now living on the upper floor. It is a beautiful village, but people's lives have been turned upside down."

Mrs Bugeja is head of regsitrars for Oxfordshire and over the weekned, co-ordinated up to 30 registrars to cover weddings throughout the county.

She said: "On Saturday, we managed every one, including the one at Minster Lovell, and the only exception was at Kingham. The bride was flying in from Canada but could not make it in time."

here was one near miss, a civil wedding at Woodstock Town Hall on Friday where the ceremony went ahead with just 18 minutes to spare before the 6pm deadline.