OUR MINISTER ROBERT BARTHRAM retired at the end of February 2025

 

Dear Friends,

​

Two months ago, I wrote my final minister’s letter yet here I am again, but this letter is simply to say thank you.

 

Viv and I would like to thank you all for the kind words and good wishes both spoken and written that we have received. We found our final weekend very emotional and one that I don’t think we will ever forget. We also want to thank you for the generous cheque we were given along with the special railway print for myself and two hedgehogs for Viv (not real ones).

 

You may be wondering how the move went, sadly not as smoothly as we hoped. It took the removal men quite a long time to pack everything (we had warned them that ministers have a lot of books).  An hour or so after they had left, we were ready to depart and then the car wouldn’t start. We have had the same make of car for about 16 years and this was the first time that had happened. The recovery service came and started the car but before we got it off the drive it ‘konked’ out again. By this time, it was late and some hasty phone calls were made. We couldn’t possibly be in Liverpool in time to meet the van at 9.30am. Out daughter agreed to let the men in following instructions from us. We remained in the empty manse sleeping on the floor, awoke at 5am, caught the bus to the station for Viv to catch the 6.45 train, I then walked from the station to the garage on the other side of town. When I arrived, it was still an hour before their official opening time but they welcomed me and heard my story. At first, they said the car couldn’t be looked at for several weeks but then I think they saw my expression, the car was picked up, the fault found, repaired immediately even though they were fully booked and then they wished me well for the journey ahead. So, I was able to return to the manse for one final time, load up the car, be fed by my neighbours and drive up north, but by the time I arrived Viv had left the house. We again did not sleep in our own bed spending the night at our daughter’s.

 

Since then, we have unpacked a lot of boxes and it is starting to feel like home. I hope in the coming months all goes a bit more smoothly for you than on our moving day but we got there in the end, with the help of others, which I suppose is always true in the Christian life.

 

With our sincere thanks and best wishes,

 

Robert and Viv

 

​