St Mary's Church, Dymock

Reports

.

.Around 60 people gathered in Dymock Church on January 22nd for our now annual social gathering to say 'Thank You' to all those who've done anything to help St Mary's Church during the last year, from cleaning, flower arranging, cutting grass, magazine, young people's work, leading and helping with Church Services, etc. (Return to top)

Our Organist and Choirmaster, Bob May, played a selection of light piano pieces as people arrived and mixed together, but he was joined this year by one of his young pupils, Sophie Challendar, who helped out with a few similar pieces herself. There was complimentary wine and fruit juice plus 'nibbles' before we sat down to hear the combined senior and junior choirs sing a selection of light songs including a setting of 'Thank-you for giving us this morning' with amusing new words thanking all the different types of helpers and finishing with a modern setting of the Gaelic Blessing. (Return to top)

The guest at our first breakfast in 2016 was Rev'd Richard Atkins, a retired Methodist Minister on the Gloucester circuit and director of faith broadcasting for BBC Radio Gloucestershire, which involves him in liaising with many faiths, not just Christianity with visits to churches, schools and other faith events.

He explained that the BBC's 'flagship' programmes like Radio 4's 'Today' have many staff but for a local programme like the weekly Sunday Morning Breakfast show he's the journalist, producer and presenter all in one. He has to get up at 3:15am on a Sunday morning to be in the studio by 4:00 to get ready for the programme, which goes out from 6:00 - 8:00am, after which, and not withstanding that he's supposed to be a retired minister, it's not unusual to dash off to take a morning Service in a church somewhere in Gloucestershire.

His always been interested in football so can often been seen at Forest Green matches and still writes pieces for some papers on the subject, His other interest, when he gets some spare time, is history. All this keeps him busy because, as the journalist on the programme, he goes around Gloucestershire a lot to pick up useful material. (Return to top)