It is Saturday 3 July and an important date in the diary of Curry Rivel. It is the annual Church Fete. The sun shines, the stalls are erected and laden with goods for sale, the Church is awaiting its' visitors to marvel at the stunning floral displays. The tea and cakes, hotdog stall, games and raffles, plants and books, vintage cars, fire engine and the runners on their starting line are eager to begin, and the air of expectation fills the village green.

At my vantage point, selling ice creams outside The Court House, I am overwhelmed by the number of smiling people on the green, determined to enjoy the afternoon ahead of them. THIS is village life, I thought, and I would NOT change it. On days like this there are no barriers of class or creed, any discord or animosity, no tears or fears; everyone is there to have a good time. And so we did.

During the course of the afternoon, Robert Cole and I were touched by the number of people who thanked us for electing to be Churchwardens and, in their own words, “for keeping their Church open.” Even if some of them never seemingly used the Church for worship, except for baptisms, weddings, and funerals, it was of great importance that their beautiful building remained the centre of village life. However, the Church is not just a building. A church is a place where people meet to worship and can be anywhere. We could all meet on the village green, or any building, to offer praise and thanksgiving- but our Church is the preferred venue for us, as proven by the number of people who attended the, potentially, last service in May.

The installation of new churchwardens has prevented the building from closing, it is true. However, St. Andrews Church is more than just a building to admire from the outside and is still in danger of closing if it is not used. Every member of the village has the right to enjoy it; just like the Church Fete!

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