It was a lovely sunny day on the day of Rushall’s Harvest Communion service on October 9th, after which the Reverend John Adlam blessed a recently renovated bench looked on by members of Cyril’s family, and members of the congregation. Cyril was a devoted Church Warden at St Mary’s for 17 years, and the bench was donated to St Mary’s in Cyril J Barber’s memory in 1992. The bench has kindly been given a new lease of life by volunteers Lisa and Andrew Chadwick, two Rushall residents, and at the time they volunteered they didn’t know they were living in the same house Cyril Barber had lived in with his family – what a lovely coincidence! Lisa and Andrew are pictured chatting with Frank Allen, Cyril’s son-in-law, (the Benefice’s Treasurer). Pictured with the Reverend John Adlam and Frank are Cyril’s grandson James, and his great niece Donna Nichols.

The bench is sited in a sunny sheltered spot in which to enjoy the peaceful nature of this rural churchyard, a quiet place to sit and ponder.