Town Hall happy to host weddings for gay couples

From the archive, first published Monday 21st Nov 2005.

GAY and lesbians can get "married" at one of the most picturesque venues in the country, it has been revealed.

Straight couples have been able to plight their troth at Shaftesbury Town Hall, overlooking world-famous Gold Hill, for some years.

Their wedding albums could feature the cobbled street featured in films such as Far From the Madding Crowd and the Hovis ad starring the boy with the bike and the Yorkshire accent.

Now the town hall committee has issued a statement to say same-sex couples will be welcome to do the same as from next month when the Civil Partnership Ceremonies Act comes into force.

Town clerk Nicola Merefield said "We just felt it was important that the town council acknowledged this."

Chairman of the town hall committee, Cllr Joe Pestell, said: "We wanted to make it clear that we were going to be supporting the act."

Pastor of Bournemouth's Metropolitan Community Church, the Rev Dwayne Morgan, said: "I think it's great that they're being so positive and looking to make same-sex couples welcome and that they're being inclusive."

Mr Morgan, whose church has a special ministry to marginalised groups, added that Shaftesbury was only doing what the MCC had been doing for three decades.

Gay rights lobby group Stonewall also welcomed the move. Spokesperson Andy Forrest said: "It's great news. In fact, most of the registrars across the country are quite happy to go ahead.

"It's going to make a huge impact on people's lives in terms of social acceptance, in terms of having their partnership legally recognised and recognised as a valid thing.

"It will make a difference in financial matters such as inheritance tax laws and pension rights and in everyday things that married couples take for granted."

Diocese of Salisbury spokesperson Kate Hardy said: "The legislation is significant and will create new rights and remedy particular injustices for a section of our community." But the Church of England teaching on sex had not changed, she added.

First published: November 21

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