‘Biker vicar’ from Brailes marks 50 years as a priest

FERRETS, baby bats and motorbikes have all played a role in the life of retired vicar, Nick Morgan, who celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest.

It’s been a long and rewarding career, including 37 years as vicar of Brailes, for which he gives thanks having received his calling to the church as a 15-year-old.

Nick said: “It’s 50 years a priest with 37 years as vicar of Brailes and rector of Sutton-under-Brailes including 10 when I was also priest-in-charge of Tysoe, Oxhill and Whatcote. I was 28 when I was inducted as vicar of Brailes and maybe the youngest in the Church of England.”

Rev Nick took on many extra tasks in the parishes ranging from the practical, like helping to mow churchyards, clearing the roofs of pigeon muck, painting the walls – at Stockton near Southam – and liaising with English Heritage about church administration.

But of course there was the significant role he performed as a vicar within the community.

“Hugely important to me was the pastoral care of folk down the years with home and hospital visiting, walking with people at every stage of life; from the christening of little ones in hospital, helping in Sunday schools and youth work, sharing the life of Brailes Primary School, to all the activities of a traditional country parson with church and village activities, and, sadly, the taking of funerals which is a great privilege,” Nick said.

Nick, who turns 74 this Sunday, still plays tennis in a local league and table tennis and was known as the motor biking vicar because he has owned Honda, Triumph, BMW and Harley-Davidson bikes.

“Retiring to Shipston in 2016, I have been able to assist in many of the local parishes in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire, and am grateful for the welcome given to me which is another privilege and I celebrated my golden jubilee at the parish church of St James’, Chipping Campden, on Michaelmas Sunday 29th September with a traditional choral eucharist with 100 or so folk present for which I send my thanks to the vicar, Canon Craig Bishop,” said Nick.

He added: “Years ago I became a curate in Manchester and was very young. A more senior vicar advised me to keep my bicycle clips on when I visited a certain house on our patch. I did so and I’m glad I did because there was a ferret running around on the sofa which could have gone up my trouser leg.

“On another occasion I was in the churchyard at Brailes when I heard a loud scream from a woman in the church porch. When I got to her she was frozen and then told me why she had screamed. At the precise moment she put her hand on the church door handle she accidentally squeezed a baby bat that had fallen out of a nest and it was trying to crawl back up to the nest when she touched it.”

Nick and his wife, Sirpa, have a son, a pet cat and a cockapoo called Maisie.