Church and estate

Car parking is in short supply in the village where I live. The houses were all built before the age of the motor car so there is little off-road parking and very few garages.

When things are really tight and we try to do this as rarely as possible I and some of my neighbours park our cars in the church car park which sports a hand-painted wooden sign proclaiming: ‘Church congregation only – no unauthorised users [sic]’.

The previous vicar had a rather strict interpretation of this sign and I believe there were a few “lock-ins” so this facility is used only when necessary.

We now have a new vicar who seems to take a more relaxed view of things and I have wondered whether the “parkers” could do something in return.

While loading some lupins into the back of the estate car at...