St Johns Church has been a part of my life on and off for the last 50 years and to be honest while in London I’ve very much missed it’s familiarity and warmth. I wouldn’t call myself a regular church goer by any means, I just pop in for a bit of a boost when needed. But this is the church I call home, the church I was christened in, the church I started to go to after a few years at the local Sunday school held in a local school, the church I followed pathfinders in and eventually the church I was confirmed into. I’ve seen family and friends being married there, babies and adults being christened and said goodbye to well loved family and friends.

So when I came home this time and felt in need of some quiet contemplation in the church I call home I was just a tiny bit upset that its renovations had not been completed yet, so I bided my time, waiting and waiting, regularly checking their website, which to be honest does not appear to be updated as often as it could be. When a flyer came through the door, announcing the local carol services, of which St John’s was included. It went straight in the diary. It was lovely to see the newly polished St John’s looking so pretty as it opened its doors to its first full service. The choir was in fine form, the church was packed to the rafters and the chosen carols were just wonderful and we all sang with enthusiasm and vigour.  What a glorious start to the next hundred years or so.