Despite, or perhaps because of, a food and drink festival, the congregation at a Leyburn church was a little thin

LEYBURN had a Food and Drink Festival last weekend, sub-titled "The party in the Dales". The parish church played a key role with floral fantasia and festal communion service. Meat and ale to these columns, or what?

Like the third Little Pig, snaffling apples before the day was yet ripe, we arrived 90 minutes before morning service began. Leyburn, at the heart of Wensleydale, was already up and busying itself.

There'd been a food festival last year, too, an antidote to foot-and-mouth disease and by every account hugely therapeutic. This was to be better still, a huge marquee anchored in the market square, park and ride ferrying folk towards the fun.

There were several yellow-jacketed early doors pollisses, too, though no sign of Mr Mel Bird, who in 2002 put Leyburn spectacularly on the gentlemen of the road map.

There was a fairground organ playing Chase Me Charlie, a shooting gallery, shuggy boats - for translation, apply north of the Tees - and the Black Sheep Jazz Band which for some reason wasn't playing Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey.

Hitherto it had been the column's experience that any trad jazz band, at any hour of the day or night, would be seeking the return of the stop-out Mr Bailey.

Black Sheep was one of three exhibiting breweries. There were also Hambleton, down Thirsk way, and Daleside from Harrogate with ales like Old Legover, Greengrass and Duff.

That we resisted everything including temptation was a) because it was still just 10am and b) because the service was 45 minutes away. The sausage sandwiches were another matter.

Almost everything was made in Yorkshire, though Northumbria Lass, pie producers to the connoisseur, appeared to have become North Country Lass for the occasion.

Mackenzie's Yorkshire Smokehouse was there, and the Yorkshire Soup Company - baby spinach, asparagus and creme fraiche, perhaps - and enough rounds of Yorkshire cheese to make a fight of it with Ali.

Everyone was welcoming, everything "as it used to be" or as grandma used to make it. The nice chap from Rosebud Preserves said that though he loved his own stuff, he was uncommonly partial to HP sauce ("part of our heritage"); the A66 farm shop urged us to come up and see them some time.

Down at St Matthew's church hall, they were hard at it, too.

Last year they'd not pushed the shuggy boat out for fear of upsetting established traders. Leyburn having almost been submerged, they had fewer qualms this time.

Enid Elgie, 83, had been making sandwiches for three hours. Others formed a production line - one buttering, another with lettuce, a third with condiments.

"It's already been phenomenal," said Christopher Huggett, the Vicar.

The service began at 10.45am, the church floribundant. Flower displays represented the tourist industry, farming and the East Witton male voice choir, 53 years old and still in good voice.

Another display celebrated the third birthday of the Edward Bear Club, the toddler group run by the Mothers' Union. Edward and friends seemed suitably impressed.

The congregation was "a little thin", suggested Mr Huggett, though in that respect he may have spoken for himself. Regulars were still across the road, a salt and buttery.

The church is handsome, 19th century, the choir - unusually - in stalls at the side. Jackie Warden, church warden, saw what others missed and offered a large print order of service.

We'd last been there exactly seven years ago, when Ces Podd, a former footballer with Bradford City, Halifax and Scarborough, spoke on Christianity in sport.

Mr Huggett, a priest for just nine years but already in his fourth parish, also announced details of the outdoor "Pets service" on June 15 and urged the parish to pray for fine weather. Considering the way in which last Sunday defied the forecasters, it is an area in which they have already had some success.

"Many of our neighbours, maybe some of us, are starving to death," he said. He meant spiritually, of course.

"A meal once a week, a light snack of God's word poorly digested, will not make us spiritually strong."

There were thanks for the community's regeneration - "with diversity and vision" - and for the life and ministry of Frank Weston, the Bishop of Knaresbrough, who had died a few days earlier.

The service ended with O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, clearly much enjoyed by the choir. Thereafter back across to the church hall, teacake, tombola and Traidcraft stall.

Mr Huggett reckoned that Leyburn, if not the smaller villages around it, was enjoying a sure revival. "There is lots of building going on, lots of people coming in. It is very much on the up.

"They are wonderful people, great people here, very amenable and very enthusiastic. Last year's success might to a certain extent have been a sympathy vote, but this shows what a good idea can do."

The hall was filling fast, the column unable to stay any longer. Food for thought, it was time once again for lunch.

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