Sunday 27th August 2017

Veronica and I attended a wonderful service of “Evening Worship with the dressing of the Knight” at St Bartholomew’s Church in Tong. We received a warm welcome from members of the congregation and the vicar, the Reverend Prebendary Pippa Thorneycroft.  After a tour of the church, which was built in 1410 and contains some of the finest tombs in any parish church, we were introduced to “the Knights and their Ladies” who were due to take part in a medieval Enactment on the following day. For once I did not feel over-dressed in the High Sheriff’s uniform! The service itself was splendid – the liturgy from The Book of Common Prayer and rousing hymns in their original versions – and included the formal “dressing” of a knight in full armour, as the sun shone through the window illuminating the steel. It was a very moving ceremony, and I recommend a visit of the church to all those who have not done so.