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Blaze hits couple's wedding plans
A HEARTBROKEN couple's wedding day party plans have gone up in smoke after the golf club where they were due to have their reception was destroyed in a blazing inferno.
Andrew Hill (28) and Amy Walsh (21), of Shamrock Place, Mastin Moor, have been left devastated after Barlborough Links Golf Club was gutted by a fire on Wednesday morning — just three days before their big day.
Jobless block-paver Mr Hill, said: "This should have been one of the happiest times of our lives but we were left with just days to find somewhere else and had no idea where to find the money to pay for another place."
Mr Hill and his fiance are due to tie the knot on Saturday, at Staveley Methodist Church, followed by a meal at De Rodes Arms, Barlborough, and an evening reception was planned at the golf club.
Andrew and Amy, who have a four-year-old daughter Kelsey, paid 850 for the reception for 150 guests but friends and family have offered to help with finding and paying for an alternative.
Mr Hill added: "This could ruin our wedding. I've depression and Amy has been looking after me so I wanted this day to be special for her because we've been through so much but she has been left in tears."
Barlborough Golf Club is also helping the couple and put an appeal out on the radio yesterday.
Club manager Neil Peters said the couple would be refunded, adding: "I feel gutted for them. It's a big disappointment when they were expecting a nice venue for their wedding."
Staveley, Chesterfield and Clowne firefighters battled through the early hours to extinguish the inferno after it was spotted about 2am.
Crew manager Neil Porteous, of Staveley station, said: "It was a well developed fire which had gone through the roof when crews arrived."
The incident is being investigated by Derbyshire fire service and Derbyshire Constabulary but police could not confirm if there were suspicious circumstances.
Mr Peters said he was confident the club could be re-built and the course was due to re-open today.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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