A cheque for £100 was presented to the Rev. John Dawson Greaves from his parishoners in Ashendon and Wotton Underwood last Thursday. It was their farewell gift. Mr. Greaves, who is Vicar of Ashendon and Wotton Underwood and is also responsible for Dorton, is retiring at the end of the month. He will take his last services locally next Sunday and then he and his wife will move from Wotton Underwood to Stony Stratford.
About 40 people from Ashendon and Wotton Underwood gathered at Ashendon Village Hall last Thursday to express their appreciation of Mr. Greaves’s ministry and to wish him well in his retirement.
True Friend
Mr. T. J. Boughton, people’s warden at Ashendon, spoke hightly of Mr. Greaves as a true friend, in and out of church, who would be sadly missed.
Mr. Boughton expressed his sorrow that Mr. Greaves would have no successor in the immediate future. The Parochial Church Council has been told that for a trial period of about five years, the parishes will be cared for by the Rector of Ludgershall, the Rev. C. S. Jee. Mr. Boughton said parishioners must work together and press for a successor to be appointed eventually.
Lose Right
Church people were told that they should not be parocial in outlook, but he felt that if they were not they would lose the right to their own vicar.
The cheque was presented to Mr. Greaves on behalf of both parishes by Mrs. A. Kirby. Vicar’s warden at Wotton Underwood. Mrs. Greaves was presented with a hydrangea plant by Mrs. Boughton.
Mr. Greaves told the gathering he could not hold out much hope of a new vicar being appointed in the near future, but he promised to pray that the parishes would eventually have a vicar of their own once more.
Changes?
Services would continue as usual for the time being, he said, but as Mr. Jee already had two parishes to care for there might have to be some changes in the future. The parocial church councillors would however, be consulted.
After the presentations refreshments were served by women members of Ashndon Parocail Church Council.
Mr. Greaves was ordained in 1958 in Oxford and was curate at Thame before becoming Vicar of Ashendon and Wotton Underwood 13 years ago. Born in Yorkshire, he was, for many years, a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. He had travelled extensively and has lived in Canada and India. His wife was brought up in Long Crendon, where her father was vicar. The couple have a son and a daughter, both married, and two grand-children. When Mr. Greaves first became Vicar of Ashendon the parish church there was sadly in need of repair, the windows and fabric being in a poor condition. During the past 13 years about £1,000 has been raided with the help of generous grants and the restoration work is now almost complete.
In his retirement, Mr. Greave plans to devote more time to his hobby of mechanical engineering - he is working on a model car at the moment.
In the foreground of the picture are Mrs. Kirby (left) and the Rev. and Mrs. Greaves.