It was a joy to have Brenda Cox with us as a reader-on-placement from May to July. We wish her well as she embarks on her final year of training.

Clare Welham, a student at WEMTEC (the course on which Jane and Sandy trained) preparing for ordination in June 2011, will be on placement with us for a couple of months from September.

The recent festival celebrating the 750th anniversary of the institution of the first Rector of Minchinhampton was called Faith in the Community. It was deliberately intended to have a double meaning. It could be interpreted as referring to both the presence, existence and tradition of faith - and particularly the church - within the community of Minchinhampton over 750 years and also to having faith, confidence and trust in the general community life of Minchinhampton. What took place during the festival beginning on Ascension Day, 13th May, culminating on Trinity Sunday, 30th May, provided abundant evidence that both interpretations could stand up.

I’ve already expressed my thanks in a variety of ways to all those who helped to make the recent festival such a success. It was a truly magnificent time. Each person will no doubt have their own particular highlight or highlights. It was just wonderful to see so many people involved and so many different aspects of church and community celebrated. It was a real joy to be able to welcome back Canons Michael Vooght, David Yerburgh and Michael Irving, together with Christine Vooght and Clare Irving for the day on Trinity Sunday. Bishop Michael preached splendidly as always at the concluding service. Many, many people were involved. I should like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you.

We shall remember the month of May 2010 for a long time, I suspect. I’m not actually referring to our 750th anniversary celebrations, which, at the time of writing have only just begun; I shall be writing about the festival in the July issue of the magazine. No, I’m speaking about the General Election on 6 May.

All the predictions were that we would have a hung Parliament and they were shown to be correct. After the voter apathy of recent elections, the whole country seemed to be glued to televisions or radios for the Prime Ministerial debates during the election campaign and then on the days following the election as we awaited news of how the political parties were going to resolve the seeming impasse. None of us knows exactly how the coalition government will work out over time but the immediate signs are promising. Journalists and commentators have been thrown in the short-term, as their usual approach to questions and comments shaped by adversarial politics no longer seem to cut much ice. Only time will tell.

Many thanks to all those who attended the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in the School Hall on Friday 23rd April, and particular thanks to Nick Rutherford and members of the Hospitality Committee for providing wonderful refreshments as always. Congratulations to Jim Hann and Sally Byng, who were elected as Deputy Churchwardens in place of Jacqui Dilkes and Anne Sutton; to Bill Evans, John Gerard, Michael Gwilliam, David Tate, Jeanette von Wahl and Andrew Watton who were elected as members of the PCC; and to Keith Chittenden, who was elected to the Deanery Synod.