By GEMMA BROWN gemma.brown@hexham-courant.co.uk

Last updated at 11:05, Friday, 23 July 2010

STAR spotting spectators lined the streets of Corbridge on Saturday as former England football ace Sol Campbell married local girl Fiona Barratt in a celeb-packed ceremony.

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

Famous faces packed St Andrew’s Church as the couple tied the knot, and outside the paparazzi gathered in scenes more reminiscent of a Hollywood premiere.

Fiona is the granddaughter of housebuilding tycoon Sir Lawrie Barratt, and spent her childhood living in Corbridge and Ponteland.

Locals and visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of footballing royalty gathered in the village Market Place hours before the 3.30pm service.

And they weren’t disappointed, as A-listers such as Chelsea’s Ashley Cole, England skipper Rio Ferdinand, Sol’s former Arsenal colleague Martin Keown, as well as former Newcastle United star Andrew Cole, all put in an appearance.

Ex-England goal keeper David Seaman and partner, professional British adagio skater, Frankie Poultney of Dancing on Ice fame, also joined celebrity chef Ainsley Harriot in the 300-strong congregation.

The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. David Hewlett.

Sol (35) looked dapper in black tails and a grey waistcoat and waved to the watching crowds as he entered the church to await the arrival of interior designer Fiona (29), his partner of five years.

The bride, who wore a vintage-style cream gown, arrived to cheers from the crowd, in a black Rolls Royce accompanied by her father, Peter.

Meanwhile, the number 602 bus patiently waited behind the entourage before continuing its Hexham-Metrocentre route!

But suggestions that left-back Ashley Cole, who split from Geordie wife Cheryl earlier this year, was booed by some onlookers have been dismissed by villagers and the Rev. Hewlett.

He said: “That simply did not happen. The crowd were in very good spirits and the organisation that had gone into it meant that the whole thing went very smoothly indeed.

“It was a very emotional ceremony, which was hugely enhanced by performances from the London Gospel Choir and a group called the L’Inviti Singers, who were just phenomenal, and had everyone tapping their feet.”

After the ceremony, coaches waiting on Hill Street took the guests to a lavish reception at nearby Hallington Hall, the Georgian manor house the couple renovated for their big day.

First published at 09:42, Friday, 23 July 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk