A COMMUNITY rallied together to ensure a couple’s wedding reception went ahead after a fire broke out at a Tillingham pub.

Helen and Sean Cole were due to hold their wedding reception at the Cap and Feathers Inn, in South Street, on Saturday.

However, fire crews from Tillingham, South Woodham Ferrers and Burnham were called to the pub at 9.41am on Saturday.

A fire had broken out in an outbuilding adjacent to the pub, which is used as a kitchen area, and had spread to the roof of a nearby store room.

Firefighters worked hard to ensure the fire didn’t spread and they had extinguished the blaze by 11.12am, having ensured the pub suffered only minor smoke damage.

The fire didn’t spread to the main part of the pub itself, however the damage was enough that it would not be able to host the reception for Helen and Sean.

The Cap and Feathers’ landlord, Peter Colegate said: “It happened in the beer garden, it was a BBQ and it ignited some wood out there which then spread into the cellars.

“The fire brigade did a wonderful job, and so did all the people. Everyone was chipping in and chucking buckets of water to try and fight the fire.”

More than 50 villagers came together to move the reception from the pub to the Cricket Club, in Vicarage Lane, who had offered their pavilion out to the couple.

On top of that, people also donated cakes, foods and decorations to the reception.

Bride, Helen said: “We want to thank the firefighters and our lovely villagers of Tillingham for everything you have done to make our wedding so special.

“After a fire broke out at the Cap and Feathers your quick response was amazing.

“We are still overwhelmed by the kindness you have all shown. You were brilliant working together to get this done. What a lovely community we are.

“Thanks to the Cricket Club for letting us use the pavilion at such short notice, and to the lovely people who donated cakes, food and decorations.

“A big thank you as well to a young boy called Reed Warner, who doesn’t even live in the village, who donated some doughnuts for our reception with his pocket money. It was such a nice gesture and we had a lovely day.”

Residents in the village were also praised by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service for their quick response to the incident.

John Maddocks, the station officer at Tillingham Fire Station, said: “When we arrived at the incident, members of the community were already doing what they could to make the area safe and prevent the fire spreading to the main pub building.

“This pub is very close to our station and a huge part of the local community in Tillingham, so the crews knew how important it was that the fire was extinguished as quickly as possible with as little damage as possible.

“I want to thank the residents who were in the area for doing everything they could to make our job easier.”