Since the last Trustees’ meeting I have fulfilled speaking engagements at Highworth and Almondsbury, attended three deanery Advent or carol services and hosted Barbara Lawes before the Council meeting. Pam Mills and I lunched with Simon Drew at Marshfield and we talked about his role as our new chaplain and I am confident that he will be a very good one. I have been in contact with Wendy Wilby, the new cathedral Precentor and she is happy to conduct the wave of prayer for the Diocesan members so some of you may wish to come and meet her. We have lunch in the Refectory at 12.30.

I Emailed Anthea Hill recently and also Trish Heyward to congratulate her on her OBE.

I have attended two meetings of the Diocesan Education Board and I feel this link is very important especially as we identified literacy as one of the areas of need at our Council forum.

Our YMU group had an evening meeting at my house and met our new Lib. Dem. Candidate, Emma Bone who is a Christian and generated some thoughtful discussion about social and political issues. We hope to organise another Young Families’ day this summer and Stoke Gifford seems a good venue, especially as it is in walking distance from Parkway Station and has excellent facilities.

Chantal and I, Julia Lettey and other members were at Downend Hall to meet an African bishop and his wife and, on a sadder note, I preached at St. Cuthbert’s last Sunday when we had the closure of their branch. Several members have become diocesan members and we must look after them.

Tomorrow I am driving to Harpenden in Hertfordshire to stay the night with Elizabeth Brown and help her plan our provincial Presidents’ conference in May. When I was a new president, I found this conference very helpful. The first World -wide Council was just too big and confusing and at the Provincial Presidents’ one we were able to get to know Trish, Elizabeth and our other southern presidents better and to share our concerns in a relaxed atmosphere. So I hope the new presidents will find the same. Then we have World-wide Council at the beginning of February.

I do hope that, in this triennium, you will all find access to a computer. It does not mean you have to buy one but all of you must have relations or friends who have access. It is so much quicker and cheaper to make contact this way and there is so much information on the national, provincial and Bristol websites and people outside our organisation find them and read them too. There is up to date overseas information, prayer and worship material and, at the moment, a poll running. It says, ‘should we change our name?’ I am not going to tell you the present state of the poll but it is very close!

I look forward to working with the new team and may we have a fruitful three years with an increased membership.