The High Sheriff of Staffordshire

The High Sheriff of Staffordshire

High Sheriff Badge
Burton upon Trent
Crowdecote
Lichfield Cathedral
Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Rural View
Stoke on Trent
The Park at Stafford
previous arrow
next arrow

Court opening of the Michaelmas Session of the Crown Court

On the 4th October, the Crown Court at Stafford marked the opening of its Michaelmas Session with a service at the Collegiate Church of St Mary. As the High Sheriff of Staffordshire I had the honour of opening the session.

I was joined by members of Staffordshire Police, the Mayoral Party, the County Council Party, Court Clerks, District Judge O’Brien, His Hon. Judge Salmon, Her Hon. Judge Wall, His Hon. Judge Gosling, the Under Sheriff, The Sheriff’s Chaplin and the Recorder of Stafford, for the procession which departed from the County Buildings and made its way to St Mary’s Collegiate Church for the official ceremony.

The service began with a welcome from the Reverend Prebendary Richard Grigson, Rector of Stafford, which was followed by the Introit and Prayers of Penitence. I then had the privilege of delivering the First Reading, which was taken from the book of Philippians Chapter 3, versus’ 7-14. We all sang the hymn ‘Christ is the world’s light’ before my wife, Alison, provided the Second Reading, taken from St Luke Chapter 12 versus’ 22-34.

The Prayers were led by Mr Philip Taylor, a licenced reader, before the Blessing was provided by the Reverend Prebendary Richard Grigson. At the end of the ceremony we processed back from the Church to the County Buildings for refreshments.

It was a very special event and I would like to say a special thank you to the musical talents of the Choir of the Collegiate Church of St Mary’s, organist Margaret Outen who is Director of Music at St Mary’s, and trumpeters Paul Nevins, Gavin Lamplough, James Norden and Paul Mourant.

Thank you too, to everyone who attended the service and made it such a memorable morning.