Rev Simon Wright in St Saviours
You’ve been in Dartmouth for how long now?
My wife Sue and I arrived almost exactly eight years ago just after both of our children Michael and Becky had gone off to university. Michael is now Assistant Stage Manager in a Glasgow theatre and Becky is working on a cruise liner in the South Pacific!
Where were you before?
My previous 16 years were in a parish on the edge of Middlesborough – a very different part of the country but it did have a river – the Tees.
What was your first impression of Dartmouth?
Well, I had actually known Dartmouth for a long time as one of my brothers had lived in Capton just outside Dittisham for many years and we had come down to visit him and take holidays when the children were very young. I had also grown up in Somerset so the South West was familiar to me and I looked forward to working in such a beautiful place.
What comprises a typical day for you?
I don’t think I have a typical day actually as they vary so much. There are some basic things that are done during the course of each month, twice a month I do a round of home communions, I visit the hospital every week, I go into the schools most weeks as I am on the board of governors. I visit as many people as I can in their homes – although not as many as I would wish to be able to do. We have three Grade 1 listed buildings, St Saviours, St Clements and St Petrox which do take up a lot of time in management and maintaining as it seems to take such a lot of time and effort to get the necessary permissions to do the most basic of repairs! I do of course have the sermons to prepare and daily prayers to conduct, attending various civic events and arranging and conducting weddings, christenings and funerals. So, all in all, my days are all fairly different.
What have been your most memorable experiences that you will have of your time in the town?
We have had some very very memorable funerals! Joyful affairs that have truly celebrated the life of particularly interesting people. Having worked in big urban areas previously I think what I will always remember about Dartmouth is its friendliness, people stop you in the street to chat and not only that but the Church and hence the vicar has a real part to play in the local community.
How do you spend your spare time?
I try to take Monday’s off but of course it doesn’t always work. I like gardening and oil painting and I do like to try to get out to do some walking – but the trouble is if you only have the one day off there is always a lot of other ‘stuff’ that you have to get done like washing the car and all those other jobs that seem to pile up. One of the facts you have to get used to with this job is you don’t get weekends off!!
There’s going to come a time which isn’t too far away when you will have your weekends off…..
Yes I’m 64 years old and retirement becomes a possibility when I’m 65 but there are a few things I would like to get completed before I retire but my intention is to make way for someone new after that who will bring into the parish new ideas and momentum.
What are the things to be completed?
We have a big project on at St Clements to upgrade it because apart from seriously needed repairs it also lacks, toilets, disabled and catering facilities and there is this very imaginative scheme, in my opinion, to make it much more user friendly and adaptable not just for worship but also to provide a community facility. It is however going to take a lot of money and there is a lot of fundraising being done. I am doing a sponsored walk from Start Point to Dartmouth Castle this Saturday and I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who would like to gift an amount to the project or who has ideas for further fundraising. St Clements is the actual parish church. It was built before St Saviours and it is important that we get this right
Will you be staying around the South Hams area?
It would be nice but there are two things which will make it difficult. One, it is sort of a convention in the church that you don’t stay in the parish when your successor comes along and secondly of course, the South Hams is rather expensive in which to buy a house!
First Published November 2008 By The Dart