Motorbike to Wendover

A staged moment with the Flame this morning at Wendover Church of England School as I roared into the playground on the back of a Harley Davison with large candle in hand. This last week has seen the Aylesbury Deanery distribute candles in the town centre and surrounding villages, and now it is the turn of Wendover deanery. Thanks to Curate Etienne the Harley was on hand for me to pass on the baton. Tonight the Flame makes an appearance at Stoke Mandeville as newly ordained Priest Margaret Dixon presides at her first Eucharist. From there it moves to Great Missenden and back to Ellesbrough as individual candles are gradually passed out to the local community. At last all the candles have left my meeting room and are now with the Area Deans - so if anyone needs some you know who to contact!

Austin van marks arrival of flame in Aylesbury Deanery

Great day today at Stone School. The Flame of Faith was transported from Mursley Deanery to Aylesbury in an Austin 7 van driven by Judy Walker from Stewkley. It was the longest non-stop trip for the van since a new engine had been installed 3 months ago, and it managed the journey 50 mins to go 20 miles. The candle was handed over to two school children by Betty Swabey, Judy's passenger from Ivinghoe. Following the handover I had the privilege of leading a school assembly on the theme of light and relay races, using the web site resources written by one of our clergy Bev Hollins, from Newport Deanery. 7 candles were left at the school for each class and the large flame taken to Dinton Church for the first deanery service tonight. It's the halfway point in the project and good to be on home territory in Stone. It's been one of the strange days in the life of the archdeacon. Buildings committee with talk of buying property and installing kitchens, phone calls about the placing of curates and women bishops, letters to write about clergy moves and faculties, emails about HR and churchyards, ironing and cleaning, school assembly and photo-call and preaching tonight. Where else would you find such variety in a day?

Flame in Mursley

The Flame of Faith appeared at Ivinghoe Church Fete last Saturday afternoon. £3000 was raised! Not sure whether it was the effect of the flame or the fact that many other events were cancelled last weekend, but sounds like a great community event whatever. Tomorrow we reach the halfway stage with the flame appearing in Stewkley school first thing and then being transported to Stone in the Aylesbury deanery, where I and a few others will be there to greet it. Watch this space for more on the handover....

When the Revd Angela Mann from Claydon Deanery and Bobbie Ward, Lay Chair of Mursley Deanery met in Quainton for the handover they discovered that the pub was closed. However they went to the village shop instead where shop assistant Mike Beales was kind enough to let them do the handover there - and took the photo. The Flame continues to find itself in extra-ordinary places...with some great stories.

The Flame continues on its journey

The Flame of Faith last week passed through the Claydon deanery. At a deanery service the candles were distributed. During the week the flame was welcomed at a Pastoral Care Session and a small candle went from there to a residential home. The torch was a great success at Messy Church in Steeple Claydon, and was part of the three services at the Claydons on the Sunday. The Flame also featured at the All Age Worship in Grendon Underwood, and was taken into Twyford, Grendon and Marsh Gibbon Schools. The Revd Mary Cruddas took a Flame of Faith assembly at Waddesdon School, with about 800 pupils present. The Heads of Years 7,8,9 and 10 are selecting two pupils in each year who have encouraged others to 'shine' and giving them a candle to remind them to keep shining. The light goes on and will be appearing in Westcott very soon too. This week the Flame of Faith is in Mursley deanery - so hopefully I will bring an update from there too, before it arrives in Stone (in the Aylesbury deanery) on Wednesday. That's when I am meeting up with it again, just a mile or so from home.