What a Way to Make a Living!

After precisely 3 years and 3 weeks, I have left my employment at Devon County Council.

I've actually had a really nice time. More so the first 2 years than the last one, but I've really got very little to complain about the whole time I've been there. Nice people, interesting work, ok-ish pay. I know that I'll keep in touch with the friends I have made there.

These 3 years at work have mainly been important to me because I've proved to myself that I can hold down a 9-5 job with relative success. I'd been worried up until this point that I'd grown to enjoy the student lifestyle too much and I wouldn't react well to the discipline. But actually I've really enjoyed being a 'normal' person with a proper job and a proper house. Given that I will be spending much of my working life as a vicar with normal people with normal jobs, normal houses, normal overdrafts and credit card bills, it's actually been really important to have a taste of that lifestyle myself.

And now for something completely different...!

I can't keep you very long on this blog post as tomorrow at 6am (yes, 6am, we want to avoid the holiday traffic!) we are leaving for Oxford for good, and I really need to help Paul pack! Hopefully the nice BT man will come and install internet on Monday and then I'll do another blog post and let you know how I'm getting on!

My colleague wrote a poem in my leaving card which I would like to share with you. Quite how much of the taxpayers money in work time he spent on it I do not know, but here it is...

So Hannah's off, nothing could be slicker
Than training to be the UK's sexiest Vicar
As she earns the right to wear that white collar
All the heathens will shout and holler
"Let us be part of your flock
You're one hot vicar, baby you rock!"
They will all queue for your weekly session
Begging to give you their darkest confession
You'll be like catwoman in cape and a mask
A holy superhero... You've got one heck of a task

Back to Devon perhaps you'll return one day
Converting us all the Alderson way
I have such respect for your chosen path
Leaving behind the data aftermath
Small Grants and Fasbers, oh how inferior
And tears from Beryl, our Mother Superior
I hope you like this farewell rhyme
I wish you well, and have a great time
For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory
For Ever and Ever... Amen Ory!!!! (well it had to rhyme!!)

Written by the very talented David Johnson.
(Make of it what you will....!)