Arthur Whiston was the photographer at the wedding of Steve and Karen McDonald at Walcot Manor in February 2004.
He photographed the bride and bridesmaids and they arrived in the official car, saying as he took a group photograph that he would need to move back a bit to fit them in - Fiz Brown at the edge of the group was not amused.
He was present in the adjoining chapel when Tracy Barlow arrived looking for the Croppers. She had sold her baby to them for £25,000 but now bitterly regretted the move and was there to take the child back. She interrupted the service and as tempers heated up, shouted out that Roy Cropper wasn’t the father of the baby as everyone thought but in fact it was Steve, the groom. A shouting match ensued which saw the wedding momentarily postponed. Ken and Deirdre eventually took Tracy home and Steve persuaded Karen that he really did love her and want to marry her. As the Vicar had another wedding to go to at 4.00pm, he hastily married the couple with only Liz and Andy McDonald and Karen’s aunt Eva Briggs present.
All this time the other guests, and Arthur, were in the reception room quaffing the free drinks. Arthur was happily imbibed and tried to chat up Janice Battersby, telling her she was Kate Moss material and that she should come and see him for a “portfolio”. She quickly made her escape.
As Steve and Karen made ready to leave the hall in a horse-drawn carriage, Arthur tried to take one last picture but in his intoxicated state, stepped backwards and fell over a large flower urn behind him.
List of appearances[]
2004