Gloucester weddings and parties cancelled after venue ceases

A bride-to-be says she is "devastated", after her wedding was cancelled within five weeks of the big day.

Officials at The Club at Tuffley Park, in Gloucester, said they were entering liquidation because of challenges from the cost of living crisis.

Millie Hooper paid nearly £7,000 to get married at the venue on 2 September, but it was cancelled on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the venue said: "No money's been taken fraudulently nor has there been any intention of malice."

They said they would be appointing liquidators as "a matter of urgency" and would write to customers so they could recoup any losses.

Ms Hooper, 26, and fiancé Mitchell Malbon, 27, said they had been planning their wedding for 18 months.

Ms Hooper said they had booked the wedding package and the venue was meant to be hosting "the whole day including the ceremony"

"They were doing the food, the evening, we had a photo booth… a sweet cart and the cake stand," she said.

"It's not just us that's put money into it, my nan's put a lot into it, so has my mum, so it's not just us losing out now."

She said she felt sad looking at their wedding countdown book "thinking it might not happen now".

Victoria Chadwick, 38, had booked and paid for her son Joe's 18th birthday party at Tuffley Park for 19 August.

She said: "I feel devastated and let down and in two weeks I have to find somewhere else to host it and a lot of venues don't do 18th birthday parties."

Ms Chadwick said she had had her wedding at the venue last year, which she said was "perfect".

"But now I am angry, all I wanted to do was give my son a birthday to remember and for him to have a great time - it's been ripped away from him."

"I work hard, I save and the chances of me getting anything back is highly unlikely," Ms Chadwick added.

She said she would keep looking, hoping something turns up, adding "my heart goes out to everybody suffering with it".

A spokesperson for The Club at Tuffley Park added: "This has not been the easiest decision and we understand people will be angry, upset and worried.

"As many of our community know we started the club nine months before Covid hit, it then closed us for 18 months, although we were key in supporting our community during this time, it impacted us financially after investing so much into the building.

"Since then we have continued to invest into the building but we then faced the cost of living crisis.

"We have tried everything we can to remain open for as long as we have but with bills continuing to rise, it's no longer become possible."

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