June Plumstead's wedding day didn't start too promisingly.

As she came down the stairs in her wedding dress to leave for the church, a policeman arrived with a summons for careless driving.

A few days earlier, she had been driving a van delivering bread and rolls for the Oxonia Bakery at Radley, when she was suddenly caught up in the crash of the RAF Blackburn Beverley transport aircraft at Drayton in March 1957.

Now June Busby, she recalls: "I saw a big dark cloud and heard a roar, and ducked.

"I lost control of the vehicle, hit a motorcyclist in front and pushed him into a wall."

After the policeman had served the summons at the family flat in St Ebbe's, Oxford, she put it to one side and set off for St John's Church, in Vicarage Road, to marry Allan.

Later, she wrote to the police pleading guilty and believes she was fined about £40.

The disruption didn't affect their wedding day, or their married life - they have just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at their home at Willows Farm, Marcham.

As we have recalled previously, the four-engined plane had taken off from RAF Abingdon on a flight to Nicosia, Cyprus, and was attempting to return to the airfield after developing engine trouble.

It crashed into buildings at Sutton Wick, near Abingdon, killing 15 service personnel on board and two civilians on the ground.

Another reader who remembers the disaster is retired RAF Wing Comman- der Mike Westwood, of Carterton, who was a pupil at Abingdon School at the time of the crash.

He recalls: "It happened at 11.02am during our break time. It was Shrove Tuesday, a dismal day with poor visibility.

"I learned about the crash when I went home for lunch."

A few days later, he cycled to the crash scene.

"There was lot of wreckage still around, but there was no cordon as there would have been today."

Living near RAF Abingdon had inspired him to join the air force when he left school, and the crash did nothing to deter him.

In fact, he went on to fly Beverleys, without incident, during a 39-year career with the RAF.