FOR newlyweds Jonty and Amanda Hall, there was no other option but Kielder Waterside as the perfect setting to tie the knot.

For more than 40 years Kielder has played a part in Jonty’s life, ever since he was chosen at nine years old to push the button which closed the sluice at the reservoir in 1979.

This year will mark his 30th year working at the reservoir where he is now facilities manager for Northumbrian Water, responsible for maintenance, leisure and tourism at the site.

“Since childhood, Kielder has been a special place to me,” Jonty said. “Having the opportunity to work in this picturesque setting every day is amazing. It’s a dream job.

“I was chosen to push the button because I was the eldest student at Kielder Village Primary School and, as a young boy from a farm in the North Tyne, I always thought that moment would be my 15 minutes of fame, but it has turned out to haunt me on so many occasions ever since.”

One of those occasions included Jonty starring in ITV’s Tales from Northumberland series, hosted by Robson Green, where he shared his long love affair with Kielder with audiences at home.

The couple celebrated their big day on October 5 and always had Kielder in mind as their dream location.

“I have got a long history with the place, but Amanda, who is from just across the Scottish border, has always felt a strong connection there too so it just seemed right,” Jonty said.

“What really sold us though was the event tipi. As soon as we saw it in the flesh, we could both picture the day in our heads.

“We were also only the second couple to get married at Kielder with the tipi.

“The team really pulled it out of the bag for us on the day, and went the extra mile to make sure everything was perfect. We couldn’t have wished for more.”