Hello! I’m not actually here yet! I am delighted that the Parish Reps of the two churches have invited me to be the next Vicar of your two Parishes, and am looking forward vey much to joining you in due course. I have heard and read a lot about you!

I am by ancestry Scottish and Irish, and grew up in Hexham and Sunderland in the North East of England. But I’m well and truly acclimatised to the South these days, and have lived in North Somerset for 19 years, with Bid my wife and our two daughters Kate and Jenny as they grew up.

 I’m still busy (very!) up in the two parishes of Christ Church, Nailsea and Tickenham, where I finish on Sunday 11^th April, then will be Instituted and Inducted into your Benefice on Saturday 17^th April at 3pm.

However that doesn’t give us time to move properly, never  mind get unpacked, so it won’t be until Sunday 2^nd May that I can really begin to get to know you all, and the complexities of life in Wells and Wookey Hole.

 Writing this at the start of February that sounds a long time – but I know it won’t be.  See you soon!

Alastair

After studying at Reading University for a degree in Dairying she subsequently worked for the Ministry of Agriculture advising on clean milk production and licensing buildings.

After moving to Wells and getting the boys settled at school, she was given the chance to teach science at the Blue School. She is currently a member of the Deanery and Diocesan Synods besides being on the church committees for reordering.

Leisure interests include gardening,flower arranging,playing bridge and training a Westie puppy!

Having qualified as a Youth and Community Worker at the YMCA National College he researched the organisation and management of community development work, for which he was awarded a Masters degree from Brunel University. He is currently a freelance writer and training facilitator, a member of the Diocesan Consultancy Team, and serves on the Diocesan Mission and Evangelism Group.

ALISTAIR GLANVILE - READER is licensed as a Reader to St Cuthbert's church. He writes: "I live in Westbury sub Mendip and have been a Reader since 1969. I farmed until a few years ago. I am Mendip District Councillor for Wookey,Coxley and Godney and am responsible for strategic development, open and closed cemeteries and a few more things."

During the period of vacancy there are still visits to be made, weddings and funerals and regular services to maintain, so Alistair expects to be even busier in the coming months supporting our several active retired priests as well as our Rural Dean, the Rev Canon Tony Birbeck.

SHEILA JENKINS - VERGER is responsible for making sure that St. Cuthbert's church is ready for all services. Of course, this statement disguises the hard work that she does for the church - above and beyond the call of duty! She has a keen interest in, and an extensive knowledge of, the history of its building and life. Her Tower Trips have been a popular feature of St Cuthbert's Festivals.

When time allows, she likes to dabble in old records, especially those connected with family history, such as baptisms, marriages and burials. She also finds time to do some bell-ringing! She can be contacted here

This is a photo of Father Jackson Katete, vicar of our link parish Livingstone, Zambia, and his wife Catherine taken when they visited our church for the 10.00 am Eucharist on a very wet Pentecost Sunday a few years ago. Father Jackson con-celebrated with our then vicar, Father Peter, and preached the sermon at the start of a memorable weekend.

Over a 'Bring and Share' lunch Father Jackson told us something of his childhood, and how he had worked to earn money to attend school. He showed us pictures of the parish house with its brand new toilet and mended cracks in the walls, paid for from money provided by our fundraising efforts. The plan is that by making the priest's accommodation more hospitable, it will become a power base from which God's love can be spread among the desperately needy people of the region, where unemployment and AIDS/HIV are still on the increase.

Recently we enjoyed a very busy week when Father Katete and his wife, Catherine paid us another visit at the end of September! A small group of us met them on the Friday afternoon at Castle Cary Station with a Welcome banner and flowers much to the amazement of the other railway passengers. It was the start of a very busy week for the Katetes!

On the Saturday, the Katetes were involved in the start of the Sponsored Walk organised by the Diocese to celebrate the 1100th anniversary and in the evening the Katates were welcomed at the barbecue at the Bishop's Palace which followed the walk. On the Sunday Father Katete preached at St Mary's, Wookey Hole and had lunch with some of their congregation. The couple then joined us at St Cuthbert's for a short service and spoke to us about the church's work in Livingstone and the Livingstone Anglican Children's Project. A small presentation was made to them which included a copy of a stained glass window from Wells Cathedral and a CD of hymns they had sung whilst they were here.They also came along to the United Harvest Service in the evening.

On Monday the Katetes visited St Cuthbert's Infants School, which we hope to link with a school in Livingstone. Sadly, Jackson and Catherine will be leaving the Parish of Livingstone nextyear and will be working in Lusaka. On Wednesday morning they therefore visited the Parish of Timsbury which is linked to that Parish in Lusaka. They were given a very warm welcome which I am sure encouraged them in their new work. They spent an enjoyable few hours with Father Peter and Penny Farrell on Thursday morning before joining St Cuthbert's Mothers Union for its meeting at which they explained more about life in Zambia and the work of the Mothers' Union there. They made a very kind presentation of a wooden bowl to the group before they left us to continue with the rest of their journey around the country.

It was so interesting to hear about our link parish from our friends Jackson and Catherine which encourages us in our prayer and concern for them. We felt very fortunate to have been able to spend this short time with them andwish them all the best in their continued work in Zambia.