Back in the day, when I was operating as a vicar in a former mill town called Royton a parishoner once asked me who my hero was. I've never been much of a one for heroes, but I searched my mental files and told him- "Ian Botham"- who was at the time the wonder-boy of English cricket. This took him aback; he was expecting me to say Mother Teresa or Pope John Paul II or someone else of that kidney.
"And who is your hero?" I thought it only polite to ask in reply and he said, "My vicar", meaning me. But that's another story....
The thing is I dreamed about Ian Botham last night. He was still playing Test Cricket at an advanced age- and seemed like an awfully nice bloke. He had curly hair and his face was all wrinkly and I thought he looked very much like my idea of Don Quixote.....
"And who is your hero?" I thought it only polite to ask in reply and he said, "My vicar", meaning me. But that's another story....
The thing is I dreamed about Ian Botham last night. He was still playing Test Cricket at an advanced age- and seemed like an awfully nice bloke. He had curly hair and his face was all wrinkly and I thought he looked very much like my idea of Don Quixote.....