Eastchurch and Harty has a new vicar who has moved down from a church in Yorkshire.

Rev Barry Birch, 62, has set up home in the rectory at Warden Road, Eastchurch, with his wife Nancy, 59, and their dog Jade.

He officially becomes priest for the area on October 1 at a ceremony to be conducted by the Bishop of Richborough, The Rt Rev Keith Newton.

Rev Birch, was assistant priest at St Wilfrid’s Church, Cantley near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

He was ordained as a deacon in 2006 while he was headteacher of the Unity international school in Khartoum, Sudan, east Africa.

Previously he was head teacher of an international school in Kuwait and before that he lived in Holland for 17 years where he was head of the Dutch department at another international school.

For more, see this coming week's Times Guardian.