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Coronavirus: Ex-Bristol GP rushes wedding before return to work

Dominique Thompson Simon, Dominique and their son Jack (left) and friends Jo and Paul Williams (right)Dominique Thompson
Simon, Dominique and their son Jack (left) with friends Jo and Paul Williams

A couple brought their wedding forward so they could tie the knot before services were halted due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Dominique Thompson, 49 and Simon Bradley, 63, from Bristol were due to marry this summer but opted for a quick ceremony with just six attendees.

Former GP Dr Thompson now hopes to come out of retirement so she can help in the crisis.

She said: "Our honeymoon involves home-schooling."

The pair, who have been together 13 years and have a 10-year-old son Jack, married on 21 March at Bristol Registry Office.

The ceremony was held in front of Jack and two witnesses, Jo and Paul Williams, who kept two metres away at all times.

Dominique Thompson Dominique Thompson and Simon BradleyDominique Thompson
Dominique and Simon said they didn't want to wait to get married

Dr Thompson, from Westbury-on-Trym, said of her planned wedding: "That was going to be in 12 weeks which is exactly the crucial point.

"We either had to delay it or get married with a lot less people, and because we just wanted to be together and get married we decided to push it forward."

They had wanted to hold their reception at Little French in Westbury Park, but the owners sent them a bottle of champagne and a box of food to help celebrate instead.

She added: "Simon cooked the food and it turned out to be wonderful meal for three of us."

Dr Thompson used to head up medical services for students at Bristol University and is now a published author, specialising in wellbeing books for young people.

She has applied to the General Medical Council to return to work as a GP.