While I was at Beaudesert, Sheila Burgess, the church steward at All Saints’, Down Ampney, invited the Senior Choir to sing at the annual R.A.F. Down Ampney Association’s service, when they remembered those lost in Operation Market Garden, (as all the gliders flew from Down Ampney), as well as burying airmen found in the previous year - a very moving service. Of course, I accepted gladly.

What I DIDN’T know (and should have) was that Down Ampney was the birthplace of Ralph Vaughan Williams, whose father was the vicar of All Saints’ and Ralph played the organ (and wrote famous hymn tunes such as ‘Down Ampney’ (Come down O love divine). So when me and the Choir arrived, we sang in the Vaughan Williams’ church and I played the organ that Vaughan Williams himself played, playing a hymn melody that Vaughan Williams wrote AT THAT ORGAN - wow!!!! That sort of thing doesn’t happen every day! We had such a lovely time that I asked if the school’s String players could play their Summer concerts in the church. Not a problem, so the pupils dressed up like a mini-Glyndebourne and they played a wonderful concert in such a brilliant acoustic… thank you Sheila and All Saints’ Down Ampney!