THE bride of a former Rishton landlord has described the moment she wed her soulmate as ‘bittersweet’.

Glenda Carter and 53-year-old Ian Walsh, who used to run The Roebuck Inn together, tied the knot in hospital last month on the advice of doctors treating him for an inoperable brain tumour.

Glenda, 48, said: “The day we got married was bittersweet. You marry someone for life and I now realise we should have done it years ago.

“We do not know what the future holds but the doctors are trying to ensure Ian has the best quality of life for as long as possible.

“His tumour is terminal and things are hard but we are coping.

“Ian is very brave and we have great support from our family, friends and neighbours.”

Mr Walsh, who lives with his new wife in Commercial Street, moved to Rishton a decade ago.

He met Glenda while singing karaoke and the pair have been together for nine years and have seven children aged 20 to 30 between them.

They exchanged their vows in a side room at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Mr Walsh made headlines last month after a fundraising campaign in his name was launched for Brain Tumour Research.

A “wear a hat day” has already been held, raising £600, while Dave Lees has agreed to make his beer festival in June a joint fundraiser.

And Paul Bradley and Johnny Burrows will get in the saddle by cycling from the Liver buildings in Liverpool, Ian’s hometown, back to Rishton – a total of 70 miles, on Saturday, June 20.

Chief executive of Brain Tumour Research, Sue Farrington Smith, said: “We send our best wishes to Ian and his family at this most difficult of times and are very grateful for the way in which the community is supporting their fundraising.

“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research is allocated to this devastating disease. This is unacceptable.

“We are striving to fund a network of seven dedicated research centres whilst challenging the government and larger cancer charities to invest more in brain tumour research in order to help patients like Ian and his family.”

For more information go to braintumourresearch.org.