Strictly speaking, jacket is a pair of trousers...

It was a case of ten out of ten for romantic endeavour when Tim Brown married Shirley Varndell.

For Tim's velvet jacket was made out of the trousers which were created for Len Goodman of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing fame.

The bespoke tailoring came courtesy of Soho legend Sir Tom Baker and the help of Mr Goodman's son.

The result was an outfit to dazzle the eye as Tim said 'I do' to Shirley in front of 52 guests.

He said: "It felt fantastic wearing the jacket. It fitted like a glove and was really wonderful. Sir Tom Baker is a really gifted tailor."

The story of the jacket began soon after they were on holiday in Antigua last September when Tim asked Shirley to marry him.

They had been together for five years, having met through the internet.

"I love Shirley and I wanted us to be together in a proper legal fashion," said Tim (62).

The search was then on for the wedding-day wear. Tim's eye was caught by a jacket which Mr Goodman wore on an edition of Strictly Come Dancing last autumn.

He contacted the Strictly Come Dancing message board to find out how he could buy a similar jacket and received the suggestion to speak to Mr Goodman's dancing school in Gravesend.

A phone call saw him talking to Mr Goodman's son, James, who passed on the details of Sir Tom Baker.

Computer software sales manager Tim visited Sir Tom's workshop last November and was told to return a few months' later for his fittings.

But, before then, Shirley (63), of Drake Park, was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She underwent an operation last February to remove the cancerous glands and started six weeks of radiotherapy just five days after her wedding.

By the time Tim got round to contacting Sir Tom again, all the material had been used and no more was being made.

However, Sir Tom had the jacket's matching pair of trousers which Mr Goodman had never worn. The Strictly Come Dancing production company agreed to them being reused for Tim's jacket.

With a matching pair of trousers, the outfit cost him 1,300, but the effect was priceless as he stood alongside care assistant Shirley.

Among those watching them at the emotional moment were Tom's son, daughter and two grandchildren from his first marriage and Shirley's daughter, visiting from the USA, her son and grand-daughter.

The couple have postponed a honeymoon until Shirley has recovered from her radiotherapy.

What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.

Click here to go back to Chichester news

Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news

Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news

To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.

MAP