Portsmouth bride swaps wedding carriage for skip lorries

JOB 2 :

Sheila Gillies, drives a skip for L&S Waste Management. Sheila turns up at her wedding venue in the Skip Truck that she drives at Royal Maritime Club, Queen Street, Portsea, Portsmouth.
Pictured Sheila with the Skip Trucks she works with outside the venue.
Photo by Habibur Rahman

28/8/16 PPP-160828-194109001 — JOB 2 : Sheila Gillies, drives a skip for L&S Waste Management. Sheila turns up at her wedding venue in the Skip Truck that she drives at Royal Maritime Club, Queen Street, Portsea, Portsmouth. Pictured Sheila with the Skip Trucks she works with outside the venue. Photo by Habibur Rahman 28/8/16 PPP-160828-194109001

But for proud HGV licence holder Sheila Thomas, 52, it had to be her firm’s lorry skips that delivered to the big day.

Waiting family at the Royal Maritime Club in Queen Street, Portsea, looked on with huge smiles as two huge skip lorries tastefully decorated with ribbon pulled up outside the building.

Gracefully stepping out from the cab – complete with driver in high-vis and safety helmet – Sheila swept into the club to wed fiancé Stephen Thomas, 58.

Together for three years after meeting online, the newlyweds couldn’t have been happier with the start to their day.

Sheila told The News: ‘It’s my job and it’s a little bit unusual, I like being a bit different. He was all for it, he was pleased with it.

‘I wanted it as soon as we thought about the wedding, I didn’t want a Rolls Royce or anything like that because everybody has them and it’s unique.

‘It’s my job and I thought it couldn’t be better.’

Sheila’s mother Christina Plumpton, 74, of Copnor, held back tears of joy as Sheila arrived. She said: ‘It’s lovely, she loves the job.’

Asked about the happy couple she added: ‘They’re lovely.’

Being the only woman working at L&S Waste Management the firm was only too happy to provide the skip lorries. Sheila has been driving for a year.

Shelia’s son Luke Gillies, 19, arrived in a second skip lorry and gave his mum away in the ceremony. Her daughter Lauren Kellerway, 25, joined in the day.

Stephen Thomas said: ‘She means everything to me, she’s my friend and companion and she’s lovely.

‘She’s one of those people who’s good at everything she does.’

He proposed to her a year ago on a private beach in Cyprus by telling her he loved her dearly – except her name.

L&S Waste Management managing director Mick Balch said: ‘There’s a real shortage of lady HGV drivers in the industry and we are very lucky to have Sheila on our team.

‘She is a real asset to the business and is obviously very proud of her job.

‘When she asked if she could use the skip lorry she drives for a living as her wedding carriage we were only too happy to help.’