Working across dioceses

My colleague Keith and I went to Winchester this week to do some work with colleagues from Guildford and Winchester dioceses. One of the group, Simon, turns out to have been a curate in my home diocese of Hereford. While he was there he got to know my father, John de la Tour Davies, who was also a priest. He remembered that Dad had tatoos on each forearm, one of Mary and Jesus; the other of Christ on the cross. He thought this was unusual! I said that Dad had used them as a visual aid when explaining the Gospel to soldiers during his time as an army chaplain in the far East in World War 2. Simon also remembered a barrel of beer at a Swanwick clergy conference, and he and Dad enjoying its contents! And we agreed that my father was one of the characters that Anglican ministry has often produced. He ended his days as a Canon and Prebendary at Hereford Cathedral, where his funeral was held. I remember the Christmas before he died of oesophageal cancer - taking him, ill as he was, to the Cathedral for the Christmas carol service. How proud he was to robe and process to his prebend's stall with the other clergy! The photo shows him the summer before he died in 2003.