People

I was born and grew up in Lancashire, and have lived in East Anglia, SE England, and Edinburgh, moving to Aberdeen in 2013.

A history graduate from Cambridge, I’ve worked in pharmaceuticals, banking, and telecommunications. Today, I’m an Aberdeen City Councillor, representing the Hazlehead/Queen’s Cross/Countesswells Ward, which covers St Mary’s, and also help my wife who runs her own media and communications company.

 I first came to St Mary’s simply because it was the closest Episcopalian Church, but was immediately made to feel welcome. I like the style of worship, as it’s similar to what I grew up with – my father was an Anglican priest. My wife Erikka and I had our wedding blessing at St Mary’s in 2014. I have two grown-up children, Anna and Oliver, both of whom work in London.

I’m on the Council of the Friends of the Gordon Highlanders Museum, partly due to an interest in military history, but more importantly because my paternal grandfather served in the regiment. I’m mildly obsessive about Scotland Rugby, Manchester United, and Partick Thistle, the latter an inheritance from my other, Glaswegian, grandfather. I’m a Gaelic learner, and also enjoy quizzes.

I’m a born and bred Aberdonian and after leaving Northfield Academy, started working for the TSB. After almost 35 years, I am still there! I was baptised into the Church of Scotland at Torry Church where my father was an elder. I remember going with my Gran on Sundays where she would pass me pan drops to keep me happy. 

Like a lot of young people, I grew distant from the church, and it was only when I was working on a project for the Bank and based in Gloucester that it called me back. My ‘St Paul’ moment was on Ash Wednesday 2018 when I went up for a Blessing and somehow, I felt I belonged and was starting on a new journey. When I came back to Aberdeen, I decided to worship at St Andrew’s where I met Bishop Anne, who encouraged and guided me, leading to her confirming me on Easter Sunday 2019. With St Andrew’s temporary closure, I came to St Mary’s where I have found a new friendly and welcoming spiritual home.

In my spare time I enjoy classical music and regularly attend concerts. I also love to travel and visit new and strange places. A current passion is church architecture and I’m currently trying to visit all the Wren Churches in London.

I was born in the north of England but moved to Scotland as a child and first came to St Mary’s with my family when we moved to Aberdeen in the late 1970’s. I have been a regular member now for around 30 years and was part of the Sunday School team for many years, beginning when my children were young.

After studying modern languages at university, I changed direction to qualify as a chartered accountant and have been Treasurer of St Mary’s since 2007, looking after all aspects of church finances and reporting to the Vestry and regulatory authorities.

My interest in languages continues along with classical music, theatre and spending time outdoors.

I arrived in the world at Dorchester Hospital in the beautiful County of Dorset.  Initially I was brought up in a village of Loders, three miles from Bridport.  As a child I went to the village schools, sang in the Church Choir until my parents moved to Surrey when I was nine.  I completed my education locally, and on leaving school I went to Secretarial College followed by employment in two different settings.  

At the age of 19 I decided to take a completely different route and was accepted at Kingston on Thames Hospital to undertake SRN general nurse training, followed by psychiatric training at Epsom Surrey.  I returned to general nursing gaining a post at Lewisham Hospital initially as a Staff Nurse and subsequently as a Ward Sister.  

In 1973 I married my Aberdeen born husband John, making my home in Aberdeen.  Initially I worked as a Sister at ARI, until the arrival of my late daughter Susan and subsequently my daughter Paula.  Returning to work I joined the staff at Foresterhill College, of Nursing and was fortunate to be seconded to undertake an M.Ed [Nurse Education] at Aberdeen University, graduating  in 1981.  In 1987 I was elected to serve as a Nurse member of the statutory body for Nursing and Midwifery before retiring in 2003.

I am originally from The Lothians but grew up in Luxemburg. I moved to Aberdeen in 2006 to do my teacher training and stayed in the city to work as a physics and science teacher. I started coming to St Mary’s in 2007 when I moved into the area. Though I have since moved slightly further away, I keep coming because I like the style of worship and the variety of people I have met in my time here.

I am the safeguarding officer at St Mary’s and if you have any concerns about anyone’s wellbeing, no matter how minor, I would appreciate it if you could get in touch.

I’ve been attending St. Mary’s for nearly twenty years, and love being part of the church community. We moved to Aberdeen from Sussex having previously lived in Edinburgh, and I’m a freelance archivist and writer. I have been the lay representative for around 18 years. This role means I represent St. Mary’s congregation at diocesan synod and some other diocesan events. Based on this, I also represent the diocese at General Synod and on Faith & Order Board. I very much enjoy the chance to meet members of the broader Episcopal family across Scotland and to see how the church functions nationally. Outside church I enjoy woolwork and netball.