BURNHAM couple Beverley and Sarah Milner Simonds made history last week as they converted their civil partnership to a marriage at Burnham Register Office.

It was the first such ceremony to be conducted at the town’s register office and was only possible due to a last-minute change to the regulations on civil partnership.

Same-sex couples were able to convert their civil partnerships to marriage from December 10 with the founders of Burnham’s food festival seizing the opportunity to take advantage of the change on Friday, December 12.

Sarah said: “We have campaigned for many years for equal marriage and we are very pleased to complete the final stage ourselves in our home town.

“It’s been almost nine months since the first same-sex couples were able to marry legally and its only right that couples in civil partnerships can now have their commitments recognised.”

The conversion means Beverley and Sarah are now legally married and the date of their marriage is officially recorded as July 8, 2006 – the date of their civil partnership.

Beverley explained: “Our wedding was eight wonderful years ago but until today our commitment was not recognised as equal before the law. Now our marriage certificate is recognised around the world and affords us equality in pensions and inheritance rights and recognition as next of kin.”

It was thought until mid-October that conversions must take place in the County Register Office in Taunton but in November the legislation was changed and register offices which are not licensed for marriages are now permitted to carry out conversions.