77135-70KEEPING secrets from your family is not always easy. Especially when that secret is a big white horse with a chap dressed as St George on top of it.

But that's exactly what Roy and Rita Sims did to make sure their daughter Angela, 36, and new son-in-law Paul Cook, 40, had a St George's Day wedding to remember.

It took ten months of secret phone calls and clandestine meetings to ensure that on Saturday St George would be waiting to welcome the newly-weds to their reception at King Edward's Place in Wanborough.

Construction company owner Paul, who was also celebrating his 40th birthday on the day, said: "It was brilliant. Fair play to them for keeping that quiet. It was a complete surprise, I didn't have a clue.

"I'm a true Brit and a big fan of St George's day and that was fantastic."

The stunt was the idea of father-of-the-bride Roy, 67, from Covingham, who said: "Paul's really patriotic. He loves St George's day and with it being his birthday as well as the wedding I wanted to do it as a surprise.

"I have been working on it since last June. At first I didn't even tell my wife because she can't keep a secret but in the end I had to.

"I was worried what she'd think when she saw the phone bill with all these calls to a mobile number so I had to let her in on it.

"It took a while to sort out but it has been absolutely wonderful."

As the big day drew closer best man Neil Clutterbuck, 38, was also allowed in on the surprise.

Neil said: "Paul's the biggest patriot I know. He has the flag of St George outside his house all year round. He's a true Brit."

The horse, called Spotty, belongs to Ginny Bird, 44, who runs the Ridgeway Stables in Wanborough and it was her son Michael, 25, who donned the chainmail and flag for the day.

Mrs Bird said: "We have never heard of anything like this before but it was a favour because they are such a lovely couple.

"Everything went really well, the horse was brilliant. She has never done anything like that before and I was worried she might kick the bride or something but she was just brilliant.

"It was nice to remember St George's Day."

And for Michael it was a pleasure to dress up as the saint of England.

"I quite enjoyed it," he said. "The bride and groom were pretty shocked when we stopped them, they didn't know anything about it."

Gareth Bethell