The sun shone, and the day stayed dry to welcome the visitors who arrived for the 11 o'clock service in St Thomas's churchyard, which was the start of pilgrimage day, the culmination of many months of hard work on the part of the pilgrimage committee and several weeks of hard work for church members in your village.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy- O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, was the guest speaker and he led the procession of well over 1,000 pilgrims down to St Peter's on the Wall.

The theme of his address was "spiritual ecumenism" and he stressed the importance of each and every one of us striving towards unity.

There have been great men and women in history who have been in the public eye working and spreading God's message to all, but the cardinal stressed that we all had the same responsibility and ability, through unification and love towards those around us, to do the same.

The field next to St Peter's was filled with people enjoying their picnics, meeting old acquaintances and sampling the drinks and cake stall, groaning under the weight of the cakes so many of you in Bradwell kindly made.

A special thank-you goes to Ann Main for masterminding this stall, plus the helpers, many of them members of the Social. Countless pilgrims remember from year to year the delight of home-made cakes and pastries, and some even ask for the particular type of cake they enjoyed so much the previous year!

The Othona Community provided previously-booked lunches and also teas in the afternoon for the many folk who walked across the field to visit them. Others enjoyed a few hours on the beach and the peace and quiet that surrounds our lovely coast and countryside.

It was a very different atmosphere from the everyday experience of many who came from the east end of London.

This extraordinarily happy and successful day finished in a relaxed style for the locals, as well as for the many who were staying at Othona, with a barbecue on the same field. The beautifully cooked food fell under the control of Ernie Bateman and Roger Scurrell, with salads provided by some of those present.

The overall enjoyment was increased by the almost continuous playing of a father and son duo, Paul and Dave Seckleman on guitar and violin.

for tea or coffee and a project to work on. The cost is £2, payable at the door, we look forward to seeing you there.