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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Wedding delayed as ring-bearing owl goes for a sleep | Wedding delayed as ring-bearing owl goes for a sleep |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| A wedding service was delayed when an owl bearing rings fell asleep in the church roof. | A wedding service was delayed when an owl bearing rings fell asleep in the church roof. |
| Darcy the barn owl was meant to fly down the aisle at Holy Cross Church in Sherston, Wiltshire, and deliver rings to Sonia Cadman and Andrew Matley. | Darcy the barn owl was meant to fly down the aisle at Holy Cross Church in Sherston, Wiltshire, and deliver rings to Sonia Cadman and Andrew Matley. |
| Instead the one-year-old owl flew into the church roof to roost. It took about an hour to get her down. | Instead the one-year-old owl flew into the church roof to roost. It took about an hour to get her down. |
| The Reverend Christopher Bryan said: "We tried all we could to get it down but it just wouldn't budge." | |
| He said the owl seemed "very happy" in the roof and could not be tempted down with a treat. | He said the owl seemed "very happy" in the roof and could not be tempted down with a treat. |
| "It must have been an hour before they got a ladder to rescue it," he said. | "It must have been an hour before they got a ladder to rescue it," he said. |
| 'Absolute stitches' | 'Absolute stitches' |
| The specially-trained owl had been hired by Ms Cadman for the wedding, which took place at the weekend. | |
| It was a surprise for her fiance, who is interested in falconry. | |
| Darcy was only trusted with replica rings, with the real bands kept in Mr Matley's pocket. | Darcy was only trusted with replica rings, with the real bands kept in Mr Matley's pocket. |
| "The owl was meant to deliver the rings to the glove my husband-to-be was wearing," Ms Cadman said. | "The owl was meant to deliver the rings to the glove my husband-to-be was wearing," Ms Cadman said. |
| "But she just flew straight past the glove and straight up into the top of the church and sat in the rafters. | "But she just flew straight past the glove and straight up into the top of the church and sat in the rafters. |
| "She shut her eyes and went to sleep." | "She shut her eyes and went to sleep." |
| Despite the delay, Ms Cadman said it had not spoilt the wedding day for the couple, who are from near Burford, in Oxfordshire, "in any shape". | |
| "We thought it was funny and the guests were in absolute stitches," she said. | "We thought it was funny and the guests were in absolute stitches," she said. |