Brave bride Susan Dobson was marrying the man of her dreams this afternoon - St Valentine's Day - just three days after the death of her mother from cancer.

But there will be no time to enjoy the traditional trimmings of wedded bliss starting with a honeymoon.

The 45-year-old divorcee starts her second course of chemotherapy for her own cancer of the pancreas on Wednesday - the same type of cancer from which her mum Maureen Cox, died aged 70.

Two days later she will pack away her cream wedding suit and don black for her mum's funeral at Nab Wood Crematorium.

Susan, a mother-of-three from a previous marriage, who manages the Sun Inn, Cottingley, was to marry Michael Boyle, 35, this afternoon at Bradford Register Office - five years after their first date on St Valentine's Day.

They decided to go ahead with the wedding after Susan's mother told them to carry on with the big day and her husband George gave them his blessing too.

Susan said: "She kept saying to me I had to be strong and go through with it. She told everyone else that they had to make sure that I got there.

"We were thinking of cancelling it but it was not what my mother wanted.

"It's going to be a mixture of feelings when I'm getting married. I'm trying to cut everything off because I get tummy ache. I'm trying not to think about it.

"I want to see everybody else enjoying themselves. As much as I can I want to enjoy the day. I can have a drink but I prefer not to.

"I have two wedding suits and I'm going to be wearing the one she wanted. In a way she will be there."

Michael added: "I think Maureen was aware for some time that she was not going to be able to take part and she just passed away here at the pub on Friday tea-time.

"We had known from the beginning of last week that she was only going to be with us for a few days. The worst case would have been if she had passed away today or tomorrow. Everyone was here and now life must go on."

Mr Cox, 71, a retired travel manager of Hawthorn Drive, Greengates, who celebrated 51 years of marriage with Maureen on 22 January, said: "She was diagnosed with cancer on October 26 last year and this is what Maureen wanted and this is what I wanted for my daughter. We have looked forward to the day.

"The day before she died my wife requested a glass of Baileys and then a whisky. I think she was having a wedding drink."

Around 30 family and friends will attend the wedding at Bradford Register Office with a reception for 80 at The Sun Inn and about 200 people for the evening do also at the inn.

Best man will be Paul Lynes, of Peterborough, a friend from the days when Michael managed a pub there.

Also attending will be Susan's three children: Paul, 26, a lance-corporal in full dress uniform, Tanya, 23, an assistant shop manager in Keighley and Emma, 17.

A cream Rolls Royce, specially loaned free-of-charge for the occasion by a local company, Exclusive Cars, will whisk the couple to the Register Office, in a ceremony that has been arranged by Paul and Tanya.

The couple met five and a half years ago when Michael worked as an assistant manager at the Stansfield Arms, Apperley Bridge, and Susan was a waitress.

Susan joked: "He had a fixation with me and just kept chasing me. It took him six months to woo me.

"He kept following me around and asking me out. He kept turning up on my doorstep. He definitely is romantic. Everybody says he is."

He said: "It wasn't love at first sight. We got to know each other - she is unique. She is like me - independent and does what she wants when she wants and to hell with the consequences."

They got engaged 18 months ago and renewed it at Christmas when Michael bought her a Platinum ring with a diamond insert after going down on one knee in front of the family.

Susan added: "I wouldn't accept a ring when we first got engaged because I was washing up too much!

"I said if we are getting married we will get married on our anniversary. That is my little bit of romance."

She was diagnosed as having cancer of the pancreas on September 23 last year and has been receiving treatment for it at the nearby Yorkshire Clinic.

She says: "I was shocked when I was told. I had been tested in May and everything had come back clear. Finally they sent me for a scan and that revealed it.

" I was diagnosed as having it on Mike's birthday and I started having treatment for it on the 30th - my birthday.

"At first the chemotherapy worked but then it backed off a bit. It was quite a blow to start again.

"The doctors were astonished because there's no evidence of there being any hereditary links.

"I have been told that it is very uncommon for a woman to get it especially under the age of 50. I have been very unlucky.

"I have up and down days. I get a lot of tension pains at the moment and get tired easily. I was very ill when I had the first chemotherapy."

The couple have requested that in lieu of wedding presents they ask that donations be made to a cancer charity.

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