Alan Watson Celebrates Fifty Years as a Priest
It seemed fitting that when I turned up at his home to photograph and interview Alan, he had not chosen to wear a dog-collar and clerical garb. Not, I am sure, because he has anything against them, but because he does not need such symbols to remind him of who and what he is, a man who has been a priest in the Church of England for what will be fifty years this week-end.
Alan grew up in Maidstone, Kent and was inspired by his local vicar, the Revd David Pope, vicar of Tovil, who he describes as a really fine priest in the High Church tradition. He encouraged Alan and several of his friends to get actively involved in Church life as a teenager. Originally he thought he would like to be a lawyer and won a place at University College London to study Law, but found even by the time he got to university, that he felt called to be ordained.
As a result, on graduation in 1958 he went on to Lincoln Theological College and was ordained by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, in Canterbury Cathedral. He then served two curacies, the first from 1960-63 as Curate at All Saints Spring Park, Croydon, and the second between 1963-68 as Priest in Charge, St Paul's Dockyard Church, Sheerness, Kent. He was then appointed Rector of Allington, on the outskirts of Maidstone, and there he stayed for thirty-one years. When he went there it was a tiny village, but he saw it expand considerably so it is now twice the size of Wincanton. When he arrived there was only a very small church dedicated to St. Laurence. This had to be closed in 1969 and Alan oversaw the building of a modern parish church in 1975 dedicated to St. Nicholas, the second to be built on the site. Getting small congregations to join and move to a new building takes considerable tact and pastoral skill and in recognition of what he achieved he was made a Canon of Canterbury.
It was a busy parish with lots going on and Alan was perfectly happy to stay in the same place and really get to know it. An example of just how busy he was is that Alan usually had 25 church weddings a year! For most of his time he was assisted by a curate who he also helped train. Then, in addition to normal parish duties, he worked part-time as assistant chaplain to Maidstone Prison and at Maidstone Hospital which, when he first went there, was Maidstone Asylum. There he carried out the last burial of an inmate in the hospital grounds and discovered that the hospital graveyard held 6,800 graves. In Victorian times, once in an asylum it was not easy to get out – even after death!
Alan and his wife Rosemary found parish life fulfilling and they brought up two daughters in Allington. Caroline now lives in New Zealand, where they visit regularly and Elizabeth teaches Modern Languages at King Arthur's. Ten years ago he retired and he and Rosemary moved to Wincanton where he has lived a relaxed, quiet life tending his garden - which he loves.
Oh yes - and he has taken 2,000 services in all 42 Anglican churches within a 15 mile radius of Wincanton, regularly conducts baptisms, weddings and funerals, has been Chairman of the Governors of Wincanton Primary School and remains a governor, is founder and Chairman of the Wincanton Allotments Association, Trustee of Wincanton Museum, a Founder Member of Wincanton Sports Centre - swims there three times a week and swam fifty lengths, so raising £350 to help repair the church roof, and is a Wells Cathedral Chaplain one day a month.
Apart from that, he takes life easy. Long may he and Rosemary continue to do so.
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Reply #1 on : Tue June 08, 2010, 10:22:39
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