Hello!

Welcome to this blog that, at the moment, is primarily for some thoughts on my time on Study Leave (Sabbatical) from May - July 2025.

I'm a Church of England priest in the Diocese of Winchester. I've been ordained since 2011 and before that I worked for an American insurance company on the Sales and Development side of the business in London. Since ordination I've had posts in Chandler's Ford, Basingstoke, and since September 2018, Bournemouth.

The parish I lead (The Parish of Four Saints - you can read more about that HERE) is based north of the town centre. We have four churches in our care (bless the Victorians - they loved building churches in Bournemouth) all within about a mile of each other. The parish is about 35,000 people strong and I'm part of an amazing team. I'm also Area Dean of Bournemouth and an Honorary Canon of Winchester Cathedral.

I'm married to Nikki and we have three grown up sons. I'm a big rugby fan and have supported Harlequins RFC through thin and thick and always live in hope!

My Travels

I am privileged to be given, as part of my ministry, a time of Study Leave (sometimes called a sabbatical). This is for three months beginning in May 2025. I intend to make the most of my time - my plans are listed below. I want to be able to journal a bit and put some thoughts and ramblings on this site. I can't guarantee how often I'll put 'pen to paper' here!

Before I provide a bit more detail, to explain that I will start my time away with the Taize Community. I will spend a week in silence here. The community has played an exceptionally important part in my life. I first went there at the age of 17 in the summer of 1986. At the end of the year, my home parish in Upminster, Essex hosted almost 150 young people for the European Meeting in London and I have returned to the community many times - at least once a year on retreat in recent years. Read more about the Taize Community HERE.

I will be doing much of my travels in a motorhome other than for the last three weeks of the time I have when Nikki and I will embark on a river cruise beginning in Bucharest and ending in Amsterdam.

Weeks One & Two: France - one week in Taize, the other returning via Tours and Normandy

Week Three: The cathedral cities of Winchester, Canterbury and Norwich

Week Four: Lincoln, Durham, Bamburgh, Holy Island

Week Five: Start of the North Coast 500 (NC500) - Inverness (Fortrose), John O'Groats, Tongue

Week Six: Durness, Clacktoll, Applecross

Week Seven: Isle of Skye, Ben Nevis, Loch Lomond

Week Eight: Windermere, Liverpool and Gloucester.

From there, a flight to Bucharest to start the cruise to Amsterdam.