Search is over for '˜mystery woman' who saved Chichester wedding from disaster

The mystery woman who saved a Bracklesham Bay couple from disaster on their wedding day has been found, but the helpful lady said she has had thanks enough.
Kirstie and Michelle Coy-MartinKirstie and Michelle Coy-Martin
Kirstie and Michelle Coy-Martin

Valerie Macdonald stopped to help the driver of a broken down campervan at Fishbourne Roundabout, before realising there was a bride inside stranded on the way to her wedding reception.

The mum from Fishbourne took an hour detour to give bride Kirstie Coy-Martin and her niece and nephew a lift to the venue in Bracklesham on July 7, but insists it wasn’t anything extraordinary.

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She said: “I was just trying to protect the chap who was trying to repair the engine in the back of the car. He was lying in the road and there were cars and lorries everywhere. I did actually think he was going to get run over. That was the first thing, to encourage him to push the car over to the side.

“I came up behind and put my hazard lights on. Then I realised that in the van were people dressed up in wedding garb and they obviously had a reception to get to and I offered to give them a lift.”

The page-boy, bridesmaid and bride joined Valerie and her 13-year-old daughter, who had been on their way to buy a riding hat in Bognor, but headed off in the opposite direction.

Valerie added: “That actually was quite funny, because the bride had this huge meringue dress on and the three of them squeezed in the back, my daughter was in the passenger seat. That was quite amazing, it wasn’t what we expected to be doing!”

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Grateful couple Kirstie and Michelle asked the public for help contacting Valerie to pass on their especial thanks for saving their day, as she left before they could get her details.

Valerie said she had tried to keep a low profile afterwards, but an employee had eventually given her identity away.

“There’s no need to thank us again, they thanked us at the time and that was fine, we were pleased to help,” she said.

“There were loads of cars around, I’m sure other people would’ve stopped if we hadn’t.”

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