Bishop puts DIY skills to the test

The Bishop and vicar Lee Longden making a bookcase


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Published: 21 September 2009

The Bishop of Manchester put his DIY skills to the test when he visited IKEA in Ashton as part of his Parish Pilgrimage last week.

The Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch visited the parish of Christ Church, Ashton on the next step of his pilgrimage around the diocese that has so far seen him visit 230 churches on his patch.

The aims of the Bishop’s Parish Pilgrimage are to encourage congregations in their faith, discipleship and mission, and to celebrate the church’s links with the community by meeting a range of people and enjoying a community reception.

Bishop Nigel started his visit at the Waterloo Children’s Centre. He had a tour of the centre by the manager and met members of the local community as they finished the afternoon session of ‘Happy Hedgehogs’ Pre-School.

After prayers at Christ Church he visited George Alan’s Barber’s Shop in Oldham Road, where George Smith and his staff taught him the art of waxing and colouring hair.

On his visit to IKEA, the bishop was shown round the store by Tony Hewitson. He met with co-workers and customers, and made a Billy bookcase with some members of the team in the store’s Bargain Corner. The bishop autographed the bookcase before it was bought by a customer from Barton Aerodrome.

The Bishop then went on to a Community Reception at Canon Johnson Primary School.

The Revd Lee Longden, Vicar of Christ Church, said “We’re delighted to welcome Bishop Nigel to our community and church. This corner of Ashton is a vibrant place brought alive by great people and there’s a lot here that’s worth celebrating. For over 150 years Christ Church has served local people, and today we’re working hard to build new links with all parts of the community, helping and serving however and wherever we’re needed.”


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