'Wedding venue from hell': distraught couples say ugly scaffolding ruined their big day

'Venue from hell': the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich (Nigel Howard)

A pub on the Thames has been labelled the “wedding venue from hell” by distraught couples, who say their big day is being ruined by unsightly scaffolding.

The Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich, whose owner is being investigated for an alleged £6million VAT fraud, is undergoing “emergency repair works”, which mean scaffolding is obscuring its much-loved river view.

But the pub has refused to say exactly what work is being carried out.

Emma Bennett, 33, who is due to marry boyfriend Ian Hudson on August 25, said she was assured by the Tavern that the scaffolding would be removed by her wedding, only to be told this week it would still be there.

Ruined: the view out of the wedding venue which charges thousands of pounds

Ms Bennett, a receptionist from Bexleyheath, said she felt “incredibly upset and distraught”, and is now having to take out a loan to cover the costs of hiring a new venue.

She said: “We have to reorganise most of our wedding from scratch.”

She said she was planning to take the company to a small claims court in order to get compensation. Journalist Simon Edge, who is due to marry partner Ezio Alessandroni at the venue in August, said he was furious.

Under construction: Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich (Picture: Nigel Howard)

He said: “We’re meant to be looking forward to our wedding day but now we both feel sick about it. Given that my partner is seriously ill with cancer, this really is the last thing we need.”

Mr Edge, who is spending around £4,000 for the mid-week wedding, added: “Compared with the idyllic images in the wedding brochure, it is like the wedding venue from hell — it is a building site.

“We’re stunned not to be offered an apology, let alone compensation.” Built in 1837, the Trafalgar is a sought-after wedding venue.

The works are understood to have been requested by the venue’s landlord, Greenwich Hospital. Shaun Hose, from BNP Paribas which manages Greenwich Hospital’s real estate, refused to explain what the emergency works were.

The pub is owned by American businessman Frank Dowling, whose company Greenwich Inc Trading went into administration last year, with Dowling and an associate Audrey McCracken arrested by HMRC officers. They both deny any wrongdoing.

The Trafalgar Tavern ignored repeated requests for comment.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT