WHEN a group of North-East pilgrims had their flight home from Budapest cancelled at the last minute, there was one cry: "Get us to the church on time."

The group of 44 included a vicar, choir and organist booked for two weddings the next day.

But after Friday's 8.40pm easyJet flight to Newcastle was cancelled, they were stranded - 1,500 miles from home.

The only other flight to England was to Luton. To make things worse, there were only 12 places left on it.

The group from St James the Great Church, Darlington, chose the lucky 12 - and made sure it included a vicar, organist, and choristers. After the two-hour flight and four-hour coach journey, they arrived home, exhausted.

But at 11am on the Saturday, the choristers and organist performed at their first wedding of the day in Darlington.

At 3pm, the vicar, Father Robert McTeer, vicar of St Helen's Church, St Helen Auckland, County Durham, conducted a wedding ceremony.

The other 32 pilgrims stayed in a hotel and came home, via Frankfurt and Heathrow, on Saturday.

Fr McTeer said: "We were worried we wouldn't make it on time. We just had to get on with it, as there was nothing we could do.

"It was quite an adventure - just not the sort of adventure you want."

Darlington councillor Ray Flowers, who also came back via Luton, said: "We were very pleased to be home.

"We had a nice cup of tea and then got some much-needed sleep."

Father Iain Grieves, of St James the Great, organised the trip and stayed behind with the larger group.

He said: "There was real Dunkirk spirit about it all.

"Everything worked out in the end - and both couples who married were thrilled everything went well.

"Other than getting home, it was a fabulous trip. We all had a great time and the Hungarians were fabulous hosts."