WHEN Tracy Thames walked down the aisle to marry her partner of 14 years, she did so without the support of her loving father.

Tracy, 47, and her husband Gary, 62, had hoped the father of the bride would be able to attend the ceremony, held at Woodlands Hotel, in Leeds.

But Neil Hope, 70, a resident at Foxburrow Grange, in Colchester, suffered a stroke in January 2018 which left him wheelchair bound.

The family made the difficult decision the journey, which would have involved a 400 mile round trip and hiring out a private ambulance, was unviable.

“We were dreading telling him it was going to be a no for the travelling, it was too complicated with his health,” said Tracy.

“When we had the photos with the register we were able to Facetime my dad.

“He still got dressed up in his suit, the full works, they even put a meal on for him and asked what he wanted. He had a Chinese.

“They had a bit of a party of their own.”

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Happy - Tracy with her son on her wedding day

Tracy praised the care her father had received at Foxburrow Grange.

She said: “He was in another home previously and was extremely unhappy but since he has been at Foxburrow he has just come on leaps and bounds.

“He can be a bit of a cantankerous northerner, he likes to find something to have a moan about, but he is happy there.

“We can tell he is doing well by the fact he has but some weight back on.”

As much as Tracy loved her wedding day, it was not complete without her dad.

And so if Neil could not make it to the wedding, Tracy decided the wedding, or part of it, would make it to Neil.

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Tracy approached the home to see what could be done.

Staff at Foxburrow Grange agreed to help out and the family made the journey from Yorkshire to attend a blessing, officiated by the care home’s pastor and attended by around 25 family members.

Tracy even wore her wedding dress one more time for the occasion.

She said: “He wanted to walk me down the aisle and that wasn’t going to happen because he can’t be on his feet.

“His brother, Trevor, was honoured to take that role on his behalf.

“So my son, his grandson, who is 26, came with us to push him down the aisle on Saturday.

“Isabelle, his niece, who was flower girl at the wedding, and my granddaughter were there.”

Neil was born and brought up in Lancashire and worked as a joiner and factory worker.

Although he maintains a tough exterior, Neil was delighted to be able to finally give his daughter away.

“He has never been a big talker, I would describe him as a typical northern bloke, quite set in his ways and liked a pint,” said Tracy.

“Him and my mum, Sue, have been married for around 50 years and she lives in Stanway.

“I was born and bred up north and as my dad will tell you we are originally from Lancashire, although we live in Yorkshire now.

“There is a bit of a War of the Roses thing going on.

“My dad is very proud of being from Lancashire.

“David, who was the home pastor doing the blessing, told my dad he was born in Yorkshire.

“My dad just replied ‘Well, I wasn’t’.”