A WEDDING at the Civic Offices reunited Swindon’s mayor Rex Barnett with a woman who was a bridesmaid at his own wedding 50 years ago.

Blind Julia Dodds, 56, who tied the knot with Allan Barlow, 61, had not been in contact Coun Barnett or his wife Sandra since she attended their wedding at All Saints Church, Swindon at the age of four.

But in a strange twist of events, they were brought together after Julia applied to hold her own ceremony in the council chamber on Saturday.

She said: “I was very surprised. I hadn’t made the connection at all because I had forgotten all about being a bridesmaid all those years ago.

“I was very pleased to be reunited, it was an opportunity to meet them again.

“That was the first time I had met them for a very long time, even though Rex is a local councillor in Haydon Wick, where I have been living for the last 30 years.

“We had a lovely wedding. We had all our friends and family with us and we had just an absolutely wonderful day.”

The seeds of the reunion were set when Julia, while organising the ceremony, mentioned to the mayor’s secretary, Carole Deamer, that her cousin, Don Shefford, is also Sandra’s cousin.

Carole mentioned the fact to the Barnetts, who remembered Julia being their bridesmaid, and was put in contact with her.

The Barnetts were then invited to the wedding.

Coun Barnett said: “It was a nice surprise to see Julia again. It was certainly an unusual thing.

“It was strange how we suddenly realised she had been our bridesmaid.

“She didn’t realise she had been a bridesmaid until Sandra told her.”

Dozens of friends and family sat in the members’ seats in the council chamber during the wedding on Saturday.

The ceremony, presided over by a registrar, took place in the space between the seats of the council leader and leader of the opposition party.

Julia, who is registered blind, was also accompanied by working guide dog Della and retired guide dog Abbie.

Julia said she decided to marry in the Civic Offices because she is from Swindon and used to work for the council in social services.

The wedding reception was at the Tawny Owl pub in Taw Hill.