Hi. My name is Lindsay Clowes. I was born and brought up in Sneyd Green and moved to Biddulph when I got married in 1970. I trained as a Nursery Nurse and have worked at several schools including Oxhey First School where I have worked with children with special needs, the nursery class and teaching computer skills to 7-9 year olds.

I am a widow with 2 adult children and 8 grandchildren who keep me very busy and active. When not spending time with my grandchildren I enjoy walking, pottering in the garden, reading and decorating. My secret television watching is sci fi and fantasy TV series and films.

I went to Sunday school as a child at St Andrew’s, Sneyd Green, where I became a Sunday school teacher. So it wasn’t long after moving to Biddulph that I started coming to St Lawrence’s. My husband and I had a real warm welcome to the church and soon we were getting involved especially once the children came along. It was round about this time that I decided to do more study so over the next few years I took a certificate in Christian studies by extension with St John’s College Nottingham. During this time I became involved with VBS or Vibes as we now call it and speaking at our mission church which has since been closed.

After my husband’s death in 2001 I trained as a Reader and on my retirement also became a church warden. I also went back to my studies with St John’s to take a foundation degree in Theology for ministry. I think that throughout my life I have felt that God was leading me to something in particular; so when we started talking about the possibly of having an OLM (Ordained Local Minister) I wondered whether this was what God was leading me to. After much discussion in the parish, diocese and even nationally (what is known as a Bishop’s Advisory Panel) it was decided that I began to train through the diocese and Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham. I was ordained in June 2013.

Lindsay can be contacted at lindsay@biddulphchurch.org.uk