Many of you know Audrey my wife and I as we have lived in Merton Park for 25 years, but for those who don’t, here is a short autobiography.

I was born in 1943 in Beckenham, Kent. I have one sister. During the war years my mother, sister and I moved to Wales to avoid the bombing. It was there that my mother rekindled a friendship begun in London some years before with Audrey’s mother and the seeds of our later relationship were sown.

The family returned to Beckenham after the war and in 1952 we moved to Clapham Park, where I joined the Church of the Holy Spirit and was confirmed in1956.

I attended Wandsworth School and having chosen to train as an Architect qualified in 1968. Audrey and I met up again and our relationship blossomed into marriage. Shortly after our marriage we moved to Newcastle upon Tyne where we lived for seven years and became members of an ecumenical church in the new township of Killingworth. We have three adult children, Matthew, Louise, and Simon and one wonderful grandson Theo.

We moved to Merton Park in 1976. I felt that I needed to learn more about my faith and attended the Cathedral course for Christian enquirers and Readers. I soon felt called to train as a Reader and was licensed in 1987. I felt that God was calling me to ordained ministry and it was with the encouragement of Tom and many members of the congregation that I went forward for selection for training as an Ordained Local Minister. I am to be ordained Deacon in September and God willing Priest one year later.