May 2010

Dear Friends,

We had a very good annual vestry meeting last Thursday. It was well attended in spite of the pressure of the political leaders’ debate on television at 8 p.m. With his usual efficiency, our editor will probably ensure that you read most of the reports in this magazine, but there are one or two things I should like to say.

Mrs. Carolyne Benavides had served the maximum time of six years as Vicar’s Warden. She has been outstanding in that office and she will be very hard to follow. As with all our former churchwardens whose leadership we have valued, I am very pleased that Carolyne will continue to serve on our P.C.C. and will be carrying on with so much of her excellent work, not least with our link parish and on our Infants’ School governors. I am very grateful to Mr. Eric Kendall for agreeing to serve as Vicar’s Warden . He has previously held the post in another parish and he has shown commitment and leadership as a member of our P.C.C. in recent years. He will work well with our other officers and with our People’s Warden, Mr. Michael Sansom who was re-elected for his second year in office.

Our Churchwardens are officers of the Bishop, which is why they always accompany him in procession when he visits the parish. Sometimes he or the archdeacon admits them to office when they make their declarations at his Visitation.

Since there is no Visitation this year, the Churchwardens will make their declarations, together with the new Parochial Church Council, during the Sung Eucharist on Sunday 16th May.

Some of the members of last year’s P.C.C. have decided to retire from the P.C.C. They have given excellent leadership in our parish during the fifteen years that I have been Vicar here, and we thank them very much for their services. They are: Mrs. Mavis Butler, Mr. Trevor Herbert, Mr. John Pardy, Mr. Cyril Waters and Mr. Lionel Watkins.

One other member of last year’s P.C.C. sadly died just before our vestry meeting. Mr. Ken Rees had given a decade of service as Parish Treasurer, and since his beloved wife, Monica, died in 1998, some years as a Churchwarden and the last eight years as Verger. Ken had bravely carried on in his flat in Knighton Court with enough illness to provide most people with a life-time’s complaining! Instead of that he served his church and community with enormous good will and interest. Ken’s contribution as a governor in the Endowed schools was greatly appreciated by children, teachers and parents. The large number of people at his funeral service was eloquent testimony to the affection in which Ken was rightly held. We extend our sympathy to Ken’s daughter Hilary and her husband Richard and David, Ken’s grandson.

Your friend and Vicar

Arthur Edwards