By MICHELE BOWKER LOOKING every bit the blushing bride 81-year-old Edna Birchall said "I do" to her 79-year-old bridegroom Eddie Tong, yesterday.

The couple were married at Bolton Register Office after an eight-month long whirlwind romance.

Friends and family were in attendance to wish Edna and Eddie well in their new life together.

The bride, who wore a stylish lavender coloured suit with matching hat for the simple service, accepted Eddie's marriage proposal earlier this summer.

Acting as witnesses were Edna's son Peter, who travelled from Lincoln to attend the wedding and Eddie's son Eddie jnr, from Horwich.

Both families - Edna's four children, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren and Eddie's two children and three grandchildren

They toasted the newly weds, who met through a relative, at their wedding reception held at Smithills Coaching House, yesterday afternoon.

The new Mrs Eddie Tong, of Oakes Street, Kearsley, was today looking forward to moving into her husband's home at Weaver's Court, on Rothwell Street, Bolton.

The newly-weds are planning a belated honeymoon later this year.

Meanwhile, groom-to-be John Whittingham, 29, was hoping for a quiet last day at work before his wedding to colleague Tracey Roberts, 29, today. But his colleagues had other ideas.

Machine operator John was chained up outside the Halbro factory on Chorley New Road, Horwich, where he spent the best part of the afternoon entertaining by-passers.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.