It was a very cold but clear midwinter night when we drove up to the Drill Hall gates (locked for security reasons) to be vetted by one Churchwarden and shown to our parking places by the other; they had clearly reserved the coldest duties for themselves! The Hall is very large but had been artfully divided by a camouflage curtain into a reception area and a banqueting suite. We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and were delighted by the ladies in their finery with sparkling jewellery; the male of the species was well (but more soberly) attired except for our Toastmaster, Arthur Mathews, who was resplendent in white tie and red coat-tails. The Vicar ceremonially cut a very large square white-iced cake and we proceeded into dinner.

The room, with one top table, and ten round tables named after church music composers, had an Oxford blue and white theme, with centre flower decorations to match on each table. Around the walls were various banners with Welsh dragons. Dr. Patrick Miller said grace and the meal began with the welcoming warmth of vegetable soup, followed by excellent duck breast and appropriate vegetable, and the choice of fruit salad for the health conscious and chocolate truffle dessert for those who didn?t care! And, of course, the wine flowed freely.

The meal was accompanied by music from the Kingsmead String Quartet, who provided a most pleasant agreeable background, including a goodly selection of Welsh tunes such as ?Men of Harlech?. The company included not only members of the present congregations but also welcomed visitors who had previously been at St Mary?s but who had moved away from Ewell. It was good to renew old ties and exchange news. The courses were interspersed the toast, led by the Toastmaster, to Richard and Susan, to past and present Churchwardens and their spouses, to members of the enthusiastic and hard-working members of the Social Committee who had organised the evening so well and , finally, to ?everyone present?.

After coffee and mints, the Churchwardens introduced the presentations with their own interpretation of ?the Modern Major General? (how suitable in a Drill Hall!) from the ?The Pirates of Penzance?. The flavour of the rendition can be gathered from the first verse-
?He is the very model of a modern parish minister With knowledge of theology and liturgy and trivia He?s memorised the Bible and can quote the book historical From Genesis to Timothy in order categorical He?s well acquainted too with all affairs linguistical He knows his Greek and Hebrew text both modern day and classical In giving all his sermons he has written up a lot of notes With many helpful references and lots of witty anecdotes.?
We all then joined in a repetition of the last line in the proper Gilbert and Sullivan manner. Clearly the Wardens had spent time and ingenuity in collecting ideas and putting them into proper form and they received a suitable ovation for their pains. 0n a more serious note the senior Churchwarden, David Crick, then spoke eloquently about the Vicar?s 26 years in the parish and our debt to him for his devoted ministry and for the developments at St Mary?s during his incumbency. He also thanked Susan for the support she had given to the Vicar and for her role in raising the family at the Vicarage. It was good that their three daughters and their son-in-law were able to be at the top table for this special occasion; their grandson, Michael was not there ? at 7 months it was well past his bedtime! Jonathan then presented to the Vicar, on behalf of the parish, a cheque and a souvenir album of photographs recording his time in Ewell, together with letters from his many well-wishers. Susan was given a large bouquet of flowers.

The Vicar, who was clearly very moved by the occasion, gave his thanks, on behalf of himself and Susan, to all assembled and spoke of his time in Ewell; he was now retiring as Vicar but would retain links with the area through his family. After a long round of applause, we all drank his health and that of his family in champagne, and enjoyed a piece of the delicious celebration cake which he had cut earlier.

There was a final musical surprise; a group of senior choristers and the Director of Music, sang ?We?ll keep a welcome in the hillsides? in token of the Vicar?s return to the ?land of his fathers? in Wales. The Toastmaster then led Canon Richard and his family from the room to prolonged applause. It was a fitting climax to a well-planned and well-executed event to commemorate what might well be the second longest incumbency (a word Canon Richard dislikes!) since the Elizabethan Settlement (for no-one is going to match these days Sir George Glyn?s 50 years in the nineteenth century).

As we drifted out into the Reception Area to collect our coats we agreed that the Social Committee had done an excellent job in arranging and carrying through such a thoroughly enjoyable and appropriate event. We left the Drill Hall for the very cold night as well satisfied that we had taken part in a ?Parish Occasion? we should long remember with great pleasure.

NMH