British Vicar blesses Fish and Chip shop

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service


BRADFORD, YORKSHIRE, UK (ANS) -- Growing up in England, one of my favorite things to do on a Friday night was to visit the local ‘chippy’ or Fish and Chip Shop on the High Street not far from my home in London.

A plate of Fish and Chips (Google Images photo).

My Mum would give me a couple of pounds sterling for two pieces of rock cod, covered in golden brown batter, and two servings of chips (French fries) all slathered with salt and vinegar -- and wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper.
The chippy would always stay open late each evening to cater to other hungry Brits who wanted to grab a meal on their way home. It was always a challenge to get home before eating both pieces of fish, and finish eating both servings of fries!
Now, one Christian website reports that a local fish and chip shop in the UK has been given a special blessing by a church vicar.

According to www.christiantoday.com , The Rev Derek Walmsley, of St Mark’s Church, Utley, near Bradford, was asked to pray for the newly-refurbished Utley Fishers.

A Chippy in Lancashire, not unlike the Utley's shop in Bradford, Yorkshire (Google Images photo).

Walmsley said: “This is the first time I’ve done a blessing for a business like this, and I’ve been a vicar for 20 years.

“But I believe God is interested in all aspects of life, so I’m very happy to come and get involved.”

Accompanied by St Mark’s curate Debbi Turley, he read a prayer calling for the well-being of the chippy’s new owners, says a news story on the website.

Ross Tanner now runs the chippy with two members of staff. His wife Sandra and 15-year-old son Joe help out on some days. The couple also have an 11-year-old son, Ross.

Tanner explained: “Although Sandra and I are not parishioners of St Mark’s we are regular worshippers at St Oswald’s in our home town of Guiseley.

“We are delighted that Derek and his team have agreed to bless our fish and chip shop.”

Customers line up by a mobile Fish and Chip shop.(Google Images photo).

Tanner said: “We feel it is important to be a part of the community in Utley and feel very blessed to have found the shop here, as in the seven weeks we have been open we have met some wonderful people.

“Everyone who has come into the shop has been so supportive and made us feel very welcome. We are truly grateful for their encouragement.”
He added: “From the outset we have decided that we were going to be a traditional fish and chip shop.

“We’ve taken into consideration the local community and health implications and have decided to fry in a high-quality vegetable oil that tastes very similar to beef dripping.”

The couple says they plan to enter their business for the National Fish and Chips Quality Award later this month.

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** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter