A vicar conducted an impromptu funeral service in the back of a car, after getting stuck in a traffic jam en route.
Rev Eve Pegler was en route to conduct a funeral service for June Isaacs, 77, when she was waylaid by a dual-carriageway closure. When she got out to speak to police about the traffic, she met grieving relatives who were also en route to the service.
"A man came out of his car and said: 'You're not going to June's funeral, are you?" Pegler told the Mirror.
She answered yes, and climbed into one of the mourners' car to conduct an impromptu service for those stuck in the traffic.
Among those in the car was Isaacs' brother, Ron Hatcher, who was able to rejoin the rest of his family at the wake, having missed the service.
"You feel absolutely terrible in that situation because there's nothing you can do. It was lovely to be able to talk to June's brother. I think he and his daughter were very grateful to have a bit of contact," Pegler said.
"I had the full service on me but we didn't go through any of that because the car started moving again. But June's relatives had their memories of her of course so we talked about those together."
Tracey Isaacs, June's daughter, said: "It was awful at first and it was a set of circumstances nobody could predict.
"Luckily my sister and I made it through to the service with our families but my mum's elderly brother had his own special service with Eve on the A303.
"He was distraught at first but I said to him that mum would have smiled. We bet she was looking down laughing hysterically and it's one to remember," she added.
Salvation Army Captain Deborah Oughton was able to conduct the service at the crematorium in Pegler's absence.
