A year ago I preached my final sermon as Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe. Sarah and I were overwhelmed by the kindness of the send-off and your astonishing generosity. The following morning we packed everything we owned into a Transit van and drove it to London.

If you think that felt abrupt, you'd be right. More than that, moving to London, when most retirees move away from the city, has been commented on many times.

People often ask whether leaving was difficult. It was; very! However, the sheer scale of the change changed pretty much everything and all at once. Whilst we miss SMR and everything it stands for, a new home in a new city, with new routines and the freedom to shape our days differently, means that life has demanded our full attention from day one. 

The year since has been full of surprises. We've discovered that we enjoy living in a much smaller house than the vicarages we've lived over the last thirty years. Sarah now walks to work and I clean the house. We still haven't settled into one church, but we've enjoyed going to different churches and experiencing the extraordinary breadth of the Church of England.

Without question, the greatest joy has been the birth of our first grandson. Living just an hour away has been an extraordinary gift, allowing us to be part of his life in a way that would never have been possible from Bristol.

Professionally, coaching has continued to grow alongside research into leadership in complex parish churches. Personally, there has been time for lots of singing and I’m getting back on my bike again! Together we've made over fifty visits to theatres (including a fantastic production of Redcliffe at Southwark Playhouse a musical about an historic event that happened in the parish!), concerts and exhibitions—most recently The Art of Mini Golf, which was every bit as joyful and ridiculous as it sounds.

Do I miss parish ministry? Of course I do. But I'm discovering that my vocation didn't retire when I did. I'm still curious about how people tick, what makes communities work, and how to name the question that unlocks a stuck situation.

Thank you again for all the remarkable years at SMR. We remember them fondly and they continue to shape us in ways for which we shall always be grateful.

Dan Tyndall

29.07.2026