OVERTON and Laverstoke residents said farewell to their rector of ten years in a tea party filled with “lots of laughter and a few tears.”

Rector Ian Smale and his wife Sue are retiring from life serving the communities of St Mary’s Church Overton and St Mary the Virgin in Laverstoke over a 14-year on-and-off period.

On Saturday around 120 people turned up to say goodbye to the couple who feel their congregations have “become family”.

Ian said: “It was very good a lot of fun, a lot of people turned up which was great fun. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of chat and a few tears.

“We feel we had a very good time there it felt like home to us and we have been very happy there for those 10 years.”

Ian and Sue and their two children Donna and Becky first moved to the parish in 2000 for Ian to take up a role as curate for four years, and moved back again as rector in 2008.

The 64-year-old said there was lots of change in the congregation over the years as well as trying out different services to see what appealed best to the group.

Among the successes included a 10-week Alpha Course which is an introduction to the Christian faith which was held every year, as well as the start of Messy Church which is for families to come along together for activities and celebration with the church.

Last year the couple launched the Heart of Overton initiative which saw a directory of all the agencies available in the village to build a support network, alongside a coffee morning at Overton Library once a week.

The churches will now be without a rector for several months while they recruit another head of the church.

Ian said: “The churches are blessed with some excellent people, some good able leaders and preachers and just all round good people so they are very capable.

“It would be unusual for them for not having someone at the helm but it will be good for them.”

Ian and Sue have now moved to Charlton, Andover, to begin their retirement and find out what’s in store for them next.

Ian added: “I don’t know yet I’m going to have a rest, have a holiday, and then we will start thinking how to make good use of our retirement.”