‘Tongue-in-cheek’ poet gets edited out of parish magazine

A POET has been dropped by a parish magazine after she offended local residents of Uplyme, on the Devon-Dorset border, for writing about migrants, benefits claimants, and people’s body weight. Diana Hunt, a regular contributor to Uplyme Parish News, wrote two poems about modern Britain. “Boat loads of illegals flooding to our shores, step this way for hotel rooms and benefits galore,” she wrote in “Broken Britain”. In “Know it All”, she wrote: “the great big fat ones who say they can’t afford to eat, many could live quite easily on their body fat for weeks.” Ms Hunt described them as “tongue-in-cheek” comments. The editor of the magazine, Robin Hodges, apologised for the offence caused, and claimed full responsibility; but he said that he was not censoring Ms Hunt.

Villagers invited into church after dog-attack death

THE Associate Minister of the Rodings, Easters and Great Canfield, in Chelmsford diocese, the Revd Tim Goodbody, invited local people to “find refuge and peace” in St Michael and All Angels, Leaden Roding, after a young woman died in the parish. Jamie-Lea Biscoe, 19, died after being attacked by a dog in a house in the village, near Great Dunmow, last Friday evening. “I hope that the community can see our building here at St Michael’s as somewhere where they can find refuge and peace and quiet and an opportunity to reflect and pray and maybe light a candle,” Mr Goodbody told the BBC.

Cathedral backs Ripon UK Town of Culture bid

RIPON, on Tuesday of last week, launched its bid to be the UK Town of Culture 2028. Pilgrimage was central to the campaign, a statement from Ripon Cathedral said. It was hoped that the theme of the campaign, “Small City, Big Landscape”, would “underpin a year-long, place-based cultural programme reaching across Ripon and surrounding communities”. A member of the Culture and Green Space Working Group at the Uredale Community Partnership, Charlie Studdy, said that Ripon had been a place of pilgrimage since 672. “In 2028, we want it to be one again — this time for culture.” The bid is led by the Uredale Community Partnership and is supported by the cathedral and other organisations in the city. The annual UK Town of Culture competition spotlights and awards under-recognised towns. It awards £3 million to the winner and £250,000 to two finalists.

Bishop Tanner rides out again for the DRC

THE Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Mark Tanner, led a bike ride through the lanes and villages of Cheshire over the Easter weekend to raise funds for the Biking Bishop’s Mission Fund. The fund provides motorcycles for clergy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last year, £6000 was raised to buy 11 for Chester’s link dioceses: Aru and Boga. A further £6900 has been raised so far, and donations are still coming in. A video of the ride was uploaded to the diocese of Chester’s YouTube channel.

Medieval remains return to Down to join saints

THE remains of two adults, a young child, and six babies have been reinterred at Down Cathedral, a thousand years after the original burial, and eight years after being were found. The oldest of the medieval skeletons is of a five- or six-year-old child. The remains were buried last week in a small grave, yards away from where it is believed that Ireland’s three patron saints — Patrick, Brigid, and Columba — are buried. The Dean of Down, the Very Revd Henry Blair, said that it was the most “unusual” burial that he had overseen. When found in 2018, the medieval skeletons were taken to Queen’s University, Belfast, and were analysed by Professor Eileen Murphy and her student Lisa White.

CRE survey names congregations’ top pressures

THE Church Resources Exhibition (CRE) has published the results of a survey that identified “the most pressing challenges facing churches today”. The survey, published at the end of last month, drew on the views of 147 respondents across leadership, administration, youth, worship, and buildings positions. Respondents were asked to select the top five challenges that they faced. The most frequent options selected were: “growing attendance/discipleship” (62 per cent); “engaging younger generations” (62 per cent); “community outreach & mission” (47 per cent); “financial sustainability/fundraising” (42 per cent); “leadership development/burnout” (41 per cent); and “church buildings & maintenance” (39 per cent).

New trustees for Churches Conservation Trust

THE King has approved the reappointment of Elizabeth Peace (News, 21 January 2022) as chair of the Board of the Churches Conservation Trust, and the appointment of two new trustees: Sally Watson and Andrew Morgan. Ms Watson, a TV journalist and member of the senior leadership team at ITV News, is a trustee of SAVE Britain’s Heritage. Mr Morgan, a senior civil servant, is also a non-executive director of the Royal School of Church Music and vice-chair of its trustees. He is the founder and Director of St Ambrose Voices, based in Bristol, and sings with the Bath Abbey Chamber Choir.