THERE was not a dry eye in the room when a Lifton couple said ‘I do’ in the first ever wedding held on one of the wards of Tavistock Hospital.

Patient Christopher West, who suffers from brain and lung cancer, and his former wife Jean remarried at a special, small ceremony surrounded by family members and staff who have been looking after him.

The London couple originally married in 1965 after meeting at an Army dance, having both been working for the Army. The couple lived in a number of different places during their married life until they separated in 1998.

Eight years ago they rekindled their love and have been back together since, living in France for a number of years and moving to Lifton two years ago.

Christopher and Jean had been meaning to remarry but had not got around to it until the decision was made to tie the knot on Friday, October 23, as Christopher’s condition worsened.

An emergency marriage licence was put in place and staff at the hospital rallied round to get things ready for their first ever hospital wedding.

The couple’s daughter Cathy Lewis said: ‘This year would have been their 50th wedding anniversary if they had stayed together. Since they got back together Dad has been asking my mum to marry him but they just haven’t got round to it. Now dad has got more ill, they decided to do it now.

‘It was all arranged the day before. We had an emergency licence in place and the nurses and matron were so excited they asked if they could do something for them. On the day they had arranged a buffet, a cake, they had decorated the room, got some flowers and had done a little posy for my mum. It was fabulous!’

Christopher, who celebrated his 70th birthday on the ward a few weeks ago, and Jean, 77, were joined for the ceremony by daughter Cathy, Jean’s brother, Christopher’s best friend and his wife, Jean’s sister’s children, the hospital matron and a few members of the nursing staff.

‘It was a really, really nice day,’ said Cathy. ’There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.’