Cliff Richard offered Congratulations to his niece on her wedding day - and drove her there in a purple Bentley to the Kingdom Hall

[Guest Kurt]

Wedding driver stint for Cliff Richard was no Norfolk summer holiday

The happy couple: Sir Cliff with Rachael and her new husband Liam - and his maroon Bentley
 

Behind the wheel of a gleaming maroon/burgundy-coloured Bentley was none other than singer Cliff Richard.

And although his visit to Norfolk was no summer holiday he may well have been heard singing Congratulations to the pretty bride sitting in the back of his vehicle with her proud dad at her side.

But the motorists' eyes were not playing tricks because one of the country's most famous and enduring music legends really was at the wheel of the iconic vehicle carrying his niece from her village home near Dereham to her wedding in Norwich.

What those motorists would not have seen but the wedding guests did, was that the near-seventy-year-old songster was wearing purple-coloured shoes to match the hue of his suit.

And it seems that Cliff's shoes were a talking point at the wedding on Saturday when Rachael Harrison, of Wendling, near Dereham, married Liam Roberts, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses, off Rosary Road, in Norwich.

Rachael's mother, Jacqui Harrison is Cliff's sister, and when arrangements were being made for Rachael's big day her famous uncle was only too happy to offer his services, not only providing his luxury vehicle to take the bride to the wedding venue, but also to be the driver.

Having such a famous face at your wedding could have led to the bride being up-staged, but 'our Cliff' made sure that did not happen by keeping as low profile as possible but happily posing for photographs when asked to by the guests. He even carried through his chaffeur's role by opening the door for the pretty bride on arrival at the Kingdom Hall.

The singer, who has numerous number one hits in the charts during his amazing career, did not peform a solo spot during the ceremony but his familiar voice was clearly heard joining in one of the final songs. His role behind the wheel continued after the ceremony when he conveyed the newly married Mr and Mrs Roberts to Elm Farm Country house at Horsham St Faith, near Norwich - the venue for a family celebration lunch.

Recording the wedding on camera was Rachael's childhood friend, Jess Tavener, a professional freelance photographer who works under the name of Artistix Flavour.

Although I have grown up with Rachael and was obviously aware that Cliff Richard was her uncle, the assignment to take the wedding pictures was the first time I had met him, said Jess.

He was lovely, totally down-to-earth and just like your average uncle. He seemed in a happy and relaxed mood but made sure the focus was firmly on the wedding couple.

She added: I wasn't nervous about taking the pictures when there was such a famous celebrity about and found it quite exciting. He was wearing amazing purple-coloured shoes and even let me take a picture of them.

Jess revealed that when Rachael called her uncle last year to tell him that she had become engaged, he replied 'I suppose I should sing Congratulations to you.'

The evening before Saturday's wedding Cliff Richard, who will celebrate his 70th birthday on October 14, stayed at the Greenbanks hotel and restaurant at Wendling, near Dereham, where the bride once worked.

Yesterday Greenbanks owners were reluctant to talk about their famous guest, who has stayed with them before, but it is known that he happily posed for photographs with some of the guests at breakfast on Saturday morning. It is understood that, because of his down-to-earth and relaxed demeanour, some of the staff didn't even realise who he was.

Cliff Richard is the biggest selling singles artist of all time in the UK, with total sales of over 27 million and UK album sales of more than 18 million.

The singer also holds the record with Elvis Presley as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades between the 1950s and 2000s.

Estern Daily press

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