Dad’s 2,000-mile wedding dash!

Long haul... (left to right) John Boycott (best man), Joyce Dean (bride’s mother), Louise and Tim Boycott, Terry Dean and Sharon Bright

A FATHER today told of his gruelling marathon journey to give his daughter away after her wedding went into meltdown when a holiday airline collapsed.

Terry Dean (62), of Chadderton, spent more than 23 hours on a 2,000-mile mission of love across Europe to ensure he was by her side at the ceremony on the Greek island of Rhodes.

The drama unfolded after Louise Dean, the eldest of Terry’s three daughters, and groom Tim Boycott thought their wedding, with more than 20 guests, was in ruins.

They had booked flights more than a year ago with XL Leisure Group which folded leaving them stranded just days before they were scheduled to fly from Manchester to the Greek island.

Oldham-based Co-operative Travel stepped in and worked around the clock to ensure the luckless couple and their party arrived for the big day.

But Louise’s father, Terry, headed up a mammoth cross-continent plane hop with the groom’s brother, John Boycott, who was also best man, and family friend, Sharon Bright.

They flew 308 miles from Manchester to Amsterdam, where the connecting flight was delayed for seven hours, then flew on 1,323 mile journey to Athens facing a further five-hour delay and, after a third 273-mile flight, arrived at Rhodes 23 hours later.

Returning from his exhausting round trip, Terry said: “I would not have missed giving Louise away for anything in the world.

“She’s my eldest daughter and the first to marry. I was absolutely determined to be at her side — whatever it took to get there.

“With all the flight changes and delays we didn’t get any sleep at all until we got to Rhodes.

“And, after the wedding and a brief holiday, we had a three-flight journey on the same return route to get back home.

“There were no delays, But I actually feel in need of another holiday,” he quipped.

His proud wife Joyce, (61), said: “Terry is a real star. I’m really proud of him. He is full of determination. He’s been just the same through our 41 years of marriage.”

On their return, the family hosted a champagne reception for more than 150 guests at St Anne’s Amateur Rugby League headquarters in Oldham.

Louise, a 38-year-old account manager, said: “I was devastated when the airline folded. Everything was thrown into turmoil.”

“Our hotels were safe,” she explained. They had been booked and paid for separately — but the flights were the problem.

“I thought our wedding abroad was all over. I even contacted Oldham Register office to see if they could accommodate us because things looked very bleak.”

Initially, the wedding party had all planned to fly to Rhodes from Manchester but the airline’s collapse meant them travelling from airports scattered across the country.

“But it did not matter at all,” said Louise. “I had a perfect wedding with everyone I love in attendance.

“Dad was wonderful. And I will never forget the help and kindness shown by the team from Co-operative Travel. We could have lost everything if it had not been for them.”

And the couple asked one of the travel company’s hard-working team to the reception in Oldham.

Louise added: “We had the most wonderful wedding in Rhodes. It is a day and we will remember for years and years to come.”