Revd Simon Huw Leigh:
I am an only child, my parents having been so shocked at my arrival in the back of an ambulance somewhere between Fleet and Farnham. My early years were spent in Fleet and then in Haslemere in deepest Surrey, though for years I always thought I lived in Thurrey, but there again this can be forgiven as nobody in Haslemere lived in a house, they all lived in a ‘hice.’
At a very tender age I was sent to a Methodist boarding school in North Devon and there I have to say I spent some very happy years. It was here that I was confirmed as an Anglican, always being one to make life difficult and not caring too much for convention. It also meant they had to find a Bishop to officiate and there weren’t too many of them about in rural Devonshire. Still some kindly soul did the job and although my motives for Confirmation had more to do with a special exeat and a wonderful cream tea! It was at that service that the Holy Spirit did move in me, even if I did not understand what was happening at the time.
I managed to scrape together a few ‘O’ levels and did far better at ‘A’ level than anyone expected, to such an extent that someone actually thought I should go to Oxford. I was never sure if they meant to the university or that Oxford would be some convenient place to deposit me. In any event Oxford was spared my dubious academic gifts and I found better employment as a police officer in London. My life of crime began in 1979 at Kensington Police Station. I then became a detective in the CID and spent many happy years investigating all types of crime and really quite enjoying myself.
I married Donna, who was then a nurse and who is now a midwife, in 1985. I met Donna on the operating table where she assisted a fledgling surgeon in removing my appendix. I never fail to tell people that she of course knows me inside out. Donna was a Christian, which I wasn’t in those days. After a few years she took me back to church which was pretty amazing, for there wasn’t even the tempting prospect of a cream tea! However, the work begun at my confirmation began to take hold and I found that Christianity actually spoke to me. To cut a long story short we had bought a house in Cornwall, where my wife came from, and started attending the local Methodist church which she had attended in her youth. Such was the warmth of their welcome and such was the joy evident in their Christianity, it strangely warmed my heart. I became a Methodist and a local preacher. Much to the incredulity of our church I offered to be a minister and more surprising still they took-up the offer. As one local wag commented ‘the age of miracles Simon is not yet dead’.
So, from Cornwall the family and I moved to Bristol to start theological training for 3 years at Wesley College, Bristol and the University of Bristol. This was an interesting time and I am always extremely grateful to the Methodist Church for sending me to university. Having obtained a reasonable degree in theology I went on to study for higher degrees at the University of London at the Jesuit college in Kensington; Heythrop College. You may just detect a Catholic spirit in my churchmanship.
As many of you know my first appointment was to EMC; having given you eight years to get over the ordeal, I am now returning to you, but with my responsibility for my other church at Carshalton. I also have a chaplaincy at HMP Downview, a female prison in Sutton and I am an honorary chaplain to St. Helier and Epsom NHS Trust.
My 3 children are supposedly grown-up with my youngest, Jonathon, setting off to university this year. Katy and Alex both work in Sutton, Alex having left home about a year ago. Donna practices as a midwife at St. Helier hospital.
And so here opens a new chapter and I look forward to sharing it with you all.
Every blessing,
Simon.