The first meeting in Gloucestershire of The Tyndale Society proved to be a great success.

At 5.30pm on a damp October evening there was a well-attended Choral Evensong in the Cathedral quire. No choir boys (it was their day off), but a fine group of male choristers who also sang a Purcell anthem. The Precentor, Canon Neil Heavisides, led the devotions and included in the readings from the Tyndale translation was the wonderful passage from the book of Jonah. The congregation was also moved by the list of names and circumstances read out by Canon Norman Chatfield for intercessory prayer. Thirty friends had booked for the buffet supper in the richly panelled Laud room in Church House. Nearer 50 attended the lecture which followed and it was a great opportunity, for me at least, to meet so many who had contacted me by 'phone or letter during the preceding weeks.

We were indebted to the Revd David Ireson for his superb introduction to our speaker, and it was explained that David is one of the members of our 'ploughboy' group, the 'grassroots' committee which is currently looking at ways of spreading the word about The Tyndale Society even more widely. Sir Roland Whitehead then gave one of his fine discourses from which I need not quote since it will be found in full on page 45 of this Journal. It is sufficient to tell that he struck a rich vein in the imagination of his audience which he continued to work without having to bore. Sir Roland's personal account of the life of William Tyndale was, and is, really splendid and worthy of our attention. We were fascinated by references to the craft of the translator from his present day experience. There were many other such insights and some amusing references to words left out of subsequent bible versions. We were warmed by his enthusiasm and obvious expertise.

The lecture was judged to be as valuable to founder-members as it was to newcomers to the study of our great (Gloucestershire) man!

David Green