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A Burnley vicar and his family will be saying a sad farewell to his congregation and friends in the town this summer when he leaves to take up a new appointment near Lancaster.

The Reverend Peter Woodman vicar of St Stephens since June 1977 announced his plans to the congregation on Sunday morning and afterward said it was with mixed feelings that he was leaving. Mr Woodman 57 is to take over two churches in the joint parish of Hornby with Claughton near Lancaster. We shall be sad to leave Burnley and a very friendly parish where we have made a great many friends said Mr Woodman. His wife Anne is a part-time teacher at Cliviger Village School. Mr Woodman whose chief hobby is music has also been actively involved in the musical activities of St Stephens and plays the piano at the church pantomimes and concert parties. He was born in Folkestone but lived in Dover until 1952 when he moved to Lancaster as a teacher at Lancaster Royal Grammar School and that is where he met his future wife. He lived in Lancaster for 19 years before training for the ministry at Durham.