Good news! - Bishop 0 - Parishioners 1

Looks a perfectly good church, just needs a considerable bit of renovation.
St Winefride's, Aberystwyth

Picture: Save our St Winefride's

Readers may recall the long drawn out battle of Aberystwyth where the local Bishop (Tom Burns) wished to sell off the old church to developers and build a nuchurch out of town.

Convenient financially for the Diocese of Menevia but not logistically for the parishioners.

Well, news has reached me today that the Bishop has shelved plans to build a new church out of town and (so I believe) reverted to the concept of renovating the old church.

I would not wish anyone to think that I am being triumphalist over this, far from it.

A great deal of money has been squandered on planning fees and so on.
 It is a hollow victory in many ways.

But, it is a victory for the 240 or so parishioners who signed a petition to retain their accessible parish church and I think that a modest huzzah (no exclamation mark) may be allowed.

And, in all of this, spare a prayer for the Bish for whom it must have been a humbling experience, to back down; and for those who supported him.