You're never too old to tackle the Thames...

Tony Thompson, Vicar of South Nutfield, will mark his retirement at Easter, after 20 years in the parish, with a sponsored canoe trip down the Thames!

He plans to paddle 150 miles from Lechlade, near the source of the Thames, to London Bridge. He will cover between 30 and 40 miles a day, which, with the added complication of carrying the canoe over the many locks, adds up to quite a challenge.

He will come ashore at Southwark Cathedral, where he was ordained as a priest 40 years ago, and where Bishop Tom will meet him. His arrival on 9 April will also mark his 65th birthday - and members of the parish plan to be there to welcome him with a birthday cake.

Despite freezing conditions, He has been getting into practice, putting his new kayak through its paces along the South Coast. He was paddling under Brighton's West Pier just a couple of days before it collapsed!

He has also been getting used to the complexities of canoeing through central London (tourist boats, barges etc.) by taking a test run from Putney to Waterloo.

The trip will raise funds for the second phase of the Christ Church Community Centre, a complex of meeting rooms that Tony would like to see realised before he leaves.

....or a new job on the Tyne!

At the age of 67 - when many clergy have already hung up their clerical collars - Canon Bernice Broggio is taking on a new job!

In March she will leave Holy Trinity and St Augustine's, Tooting, and head north - back to the Gateshead parish where she once lived forty years ago.

She is to be Team Vicar of St Chad's, in the Bensham Team ministry, in the Diocese of Durham

Bernice explained "When I sold my house in Bristol to a tenant, I realised I couldn't afford to stay in the south or west. I needed to plan my retirement to somewhere else where I have friends, but where I might just be able to afford a house. I have been exploring the possibility of the North East of England and over Christmas St Chad's came up".

She said "It does seem meant. Forty years ago at the end of my time as a Franciscan sister, I lived in the parish's Old Vicarage for three months prior to getting a job (as theological students were advised to do then) at Reyrolle-Parsons engineering factory in Newcastle".

But while it is a 're-retirement' job it's not going to be an easy number.

First of all the present Team Rector is looking to retire and Bernice's experience puts her in the frame to lead the team. Second, Bensham is a high unemployment urban priority parish where Bernice will have three churches and an award winning community project for children and families to look after. Third, the vicarage she is moving into was previously inhabited by a priest who is currently doing time for sex offences!

Bernice said "Apart from being an older woman and providing a different gender model, my social work experience, my time in Southwark helping to write guidelines on sex offenders returning to the community - and my role as landlady for two years to an ex-offender, provides useful experience for that scenario. So there are some advantages to being a woman priest".

The current Team Rector describes Bernice's new job as 'immensely demanding. at the cutting edge of the Kingdom ministry in what is a "remnant" situation.' So is it the job for an 'older person'?

Said Bernice "I am heartened by John Bell's (Iona Leader) wise words about not discounting how God often uses older people to work out new visions. I take comfort from knowing that God can use older people like Abraham, Sarah, Joseph and Simeon, to name but a few."

Through the wardrobe ... to Platform 9¾ ... and beyond

Almost 200 people converged on Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 18 January to have their imagination sparked and their theology encouraged.

Story & Photos here ....