Vicar’s Letter for July 2026
There are some sounds that belong to summer. Listen awhile, can you hear them?
The schools are counting down towards the summer holidays, the evenings seem to stretch on forever, and the familiar soundtrack of the season is all around us.
This year, of course, there will be plenty of sport. Wimbledon, the Men's World Cup, the Women’s T20, and the Commonwealth Games will all be capturing attention. Somewhere, at almost any hour of the day, someone will be discussing a score, a result, a ranking, a table or a statistic.
I’m a Liverpool supporter, but beyond that I'm mostly content to enjoy sport from a safe distance. What I really love are the sounds of it. The soft thwack of a tennis ball on a summer afternoon. The crack of leather on willow from a village cricket ground. A burst of applause carried on the breeze. A radio commentary drifting from an open window. Somehow those sounds seem woven into summer itself.
Thomas O'Malley, the large orange cat, takes a rather different view. While the rest of the country follows tournaments and championships, Thomas remains committed to activities he considers more worthwhile: general supervision of his domain, chasing flies, and sleeping in patches of sunshine. I suspect he would regard organised sport as a complete waste of energy.
He reminds me that summer isn't only about the big events that make the headlines. It's also about smaller pleasures: strawberries and cream, the scent of freshly cut grass, swallows wheeling overhead, children playing outdoors, a walk taken while the light lingers, or simply sitting for a while in a favourite chair in the garden and listening to the world carry on around us.
These days pass all too quickly. Before we know it, somebody will be mentioning new school uniforms and Christmas. So whether you're following every match, every set and every innings, or whether you're more inclined to follow Thomas's example and find a sunny spot for an afternoon nap, I hope you enjoy all that this season has to offer. This month, I shall be praying for us all to have sunny moments, thankful hearts, and enough unhurried time to enjoy both.
Rev Angie
Sign up
Receive email updates of events and services
Contact
