Who’s Who?

The Clergy

The Reverend Christopher Harrison

Rector

Christopher became vicar of the parish of All Saints’, St Mary and St Peter in 2009, and became rector of St Peter’s & All Saints’ following the demerger in 2017. Before coming to Nottingham he served in Camberwell and Forest Hill (Southwark Diocese) and in a group of parishes north of Ashbourne (Derby Diocese), where he was also Rural Dean and Diocesan World Development Adviser. In the early 1980s, before ordination, he worked in HM Treasury in London and has maintained an interest in economic, political and social issues since then. Christopher enjoys playing the piano and walking in the hills of Derbyshire.

The Reverend Dr Richard Davey

Associate Priest

Richard was ordained in 1993, having trained at Lincoln Theological College. Following a curacy in Poole, and a period as Chaplain and Minor Canon of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, he became Canon Pastor of Southwell Minster and subsequently Co-ordinating Chaplain of Nottingham Trent University. Alongside his chaplaincy work he has been an Associate Priest, firstly in the Clifton Team Ministry, and then in the City Centre Parish. Richard is also a Visiting Fellow in the School of Art and Design at NTU, where he specialises in writing about contemporary visual arts and artists. He enjoys visiting galleries, listening to music, walking and cycling, as well as being a part time groom for his wife and daughter’s horses.

The Reverend James Saxton

Associate Priest

James has been ordained for over thirty years, working as a parish priest in three Dioceses – Ripon, Chelmsford, and Southwark – along with doing chaplaincy work in Hospice Care, with young people, and in mental health. Before retirement, he was Community Mental Health Chaplain in Southwark, South-East London, based at the Maudsley and Bethlem Hospitals.

The Reverend Dr Helen Hall

Associate Priest

Helen is currently a Senior Lecturer in Law at Nottingham Trent University, having previously been a parish priest in the Church in Wales. She works on Law and Religion, Family law/Children’s Rights and Tort. She is also chair of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals, and concerned about all creatures great and small. Her other interests include ballet, history, folklore and all things Spanish.

Licensed Readers

Lawrence Crawforth

Reader

Laurie has been a member of the Parish for over twenty years, during which time he has served on the PCC, has been a member of the Diocesan Synod and the Deanery Synod, including a number of years as the Lay Chair of the latter. He was initially Licensed as a Reader in the Church of England in 1987, in Nairobi, Kenya. Upon his return to this country in 1991 he returned to his teaching career, and was also Lay Minister at St Andrew’s Church, Stapleford for four years (1993-1997). His teaching career included some 23 years in Kenya, where he had the privilege of being headmaster of a small but growing Christian Primary School in Nairobi, following this with two years heading a Secondary School there. He married Joan sixty years ago, and their family now extends to include six great-grandchildren, living in various areas of this country and France.

Clarence Rickards

Reader

Clarence was brought up and educated at schools in Leicestershire, continuing at Queen’s University, Belfast, followed by the University of Nottingham, and the University of the South (USA) by extension. He has been a reader since 1978, serving in All Saints’ church and the wider parish since 1984. Clarence represented England in International University Challenge and was a semi-finalist in Brain of Britain 1987. His interests include old films and TV, old jokes, Biblical studies, the difficulties of religious belief in the modern world, and all things historical.

Musicians

Dr Peter Siepmann

Organist & Director of Music

Peter first came to St Peter’s & All Saints’ as Music Associate in 2002 whilst studying at the University of Nottingham (from which he holds both undergraduate and doctorate degrees). He was appointed Organist & Director of Music in 2007. Alongside his church work, Peter is Head of Academic Music at Repton School, Director of Music of the Nottingham Bach Choir and an examiner for the ABRSM. Peter is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and a Past President of the Nottingham & District Society of Organists.

Michael Leuty

Sub Organist

Mike has been attending St Peter’s since he moved back to Nottingham to be a GP in 1985, and was enticed into the choir in 1991 by the prospect of singing Howells’ “Like as the hart”. He moved to the organ bench in 1999, from which it has proved difficult to dislodge him. Now freed from the vicissitudes of the NHS, he continues to gain great pleasure from accompanying his favourite choir, both home and away.

Richard Ward

Assistant Director of Music

Richard has been a regular chorister at St Peter’s Nottingham since coming to The University of Nottingham in 2004 to study Computer Science. During this time Richard has also had the opportunity to learn to conduct the choir, allowing him to assist with rehearsals and services as required. In addition to singing, Richard plays the piano, and has on occasion accompanied non-choral services on the organ. In more recent months his time is split between singing and being a father so that his wife Jenny may also sing!

Richard Syner

Assistant Organist at All Saints’ Church

Richard Syner is a freelance musician who works throughout the midlands. He is currently pianist and musical director for blues singer Lauren Lovejoy. He has been pianist / composer for Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Freefall Dance Company for fifteen years and musical director of Tamarisk – a unique choir where parents are encouraged to bring their children to rehearsals – for ten years. He is secretary of Lichfield & District Organists’ Association and has founded a folk-based music group at All Saints which rehearses twice a month at coffee time after the morning service and which anyone – singer or instrumentalist – is welcome to attend.

Ministry Assistant

Liz Marsh

Ministry Assistant

Churchwardens

Lorraine Smedley

All Saints’

Brian Dunn

Saint Peter’s

Laurie Crawforth

Saint Peter’s

Administration Staff

Adele Siepmann

PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

Safeguarding Officer

Keith Mountford

Safeguarding Officer

Vergers

Lee Chapman

Head Verger

Paul Stevenson

Assistant Caretaker