YESTERDAY’S unique date of 12/12/12 was more memorable than most for a couple who met in Moreton.

For Sophia Scarsbrook, aged 36, and Martyn Brandrick, 42, from Falkirk, were set to get married at Ellenborough Park, near Cheltenham, on the 12th day of the 12th month of the year 2012, after a decade together.

They were one of eight couples across Gloucestershire who tied the knot on the eyecatching date, along with two civil partnerships.

The couple met when Sophia was living in Moreton and Martyn, now a Group Commander in Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service, came to the town for a course at the Fire Service College. Although the couple, who have a two-year-old daughter named Gracie- Rose, moved to Falkirk six years ago, they decided to get married at Cheltenham’s Ellenborough Park as Sophia’s parents live in the town.

Yesterday’s ceremony was connected to Martyn’s proposal which took place last year at 11:11am on 11/11/11.

“I never told Sophia I was going to propose, but I decided on the date and time,” he said. “I decided wherever she was, I was going to go to her at 11:11am on that day.

“The theme of our wedding is ‘keep calm and carry on’ and I wore a T-shirt saying ‘keep calm and marry me’ under my uniform.

“He said he had visited the soft play area where Sophia and Gracie were enjoying a day out with other mums and toddlers and began to take his shirt off. Sophia went mad and couldn’t read the Tshirt.

Once she’d realised what was happening and said ‘yes’ there was uproar.”

Sophia and Martyn will be honeymooning in New York, USA and Cancun, Mexico.

  • 12/12/12 is the last of memorable dates which see the same numbers repeated this century with 9/9/9 a hit for weddings for members of the emergency services.