Sidespeople

St Michael’s has a team of more than 20 sidespeople, who welcome people to our Sunday services and other major services. They hand out the hymnbooks and service sheets, take the collection and look after any other ‘front of house’ activities. If you have any queries during a service, please do ask them. Below you can read about some of them and their relationship with St Michael & All Angels. Some others are members of our Parochial Church Council and Children’s Church team and you can read about them on those pages.

Peter Haigh, sidesperson

HaighP070603002sSally and I have lived in Chiswick for 25 years and have been coming to St. Michael’s for almost as long. Our children were both in the Junior Choir and were confirmed at St. Michael’s. Our daughter, Jennifer was married there in October 2010 and her children have been baptised at St. Michael’s. I am a Sidesperson, Reader, Eucharistic Minister and Money Counter and was previously Treasurer. I am semi-retired but still do some sales training in the hotel industry where I spent the majority of my career.

Torin Douglas, sidesperson and chair, publicity group

torin-douglas-headshot-at-13-12-04Carol and I moved into Bedford Park more than 40 years ago; we brought up our three children here and now have grandchildren too. I am a sidesperson and I co-ordinate communications at St Michael & All Angels, including its website, weekly email newsletter and other publicity activities. I am also director of the Chiswick Book Festival and handle sponsorship for the Bedford Park Festival, both of which are organised by St Michael’s. I was the media correspondent for BBC News for almost 25 years. I am also a member of the Sandford St Martin Trust, which promotes excellence in religious broadcasting. I was awarded the MBE in 2013 for services to the community in Chiswick.

Lesley Ebbetts, sidesperson

auction-lesleyMy long love of St Michael’s began when I moved to Bedford Park and my baby James was christened by Father Perry. That was in 1982 and the church has been my help and comfort through all the good and terrible times since. In 2005, my partner died suddenly and becoming head of flowers at St Michael’s saved my life.

In 2006 my son Jonathan and his lovely Lara were married by Father Kevin on the happiest of days. I live on Dorney Reach but still help with flowers, am a sidesman and have joined the PCC to work out how I can be helpful to Father Kevin and his church in other capacities. My link with Chiswick continues as I work at the beautiful Business Park for QVC as a TV fashion presenter… at all hours! Fashion has been my life since my first job working on a womans’ page in 1963 and over five decades I have been a fashion editor for several national newspapers, magazines and TV programmes.

Nicola Chater, sidesperson and Festival administrator

Nicola Chater is a former church warden at St Michael & All Angels and is now a sidesperson and administrator of the Bedford Park Festival, which St Michael’s runs on behalf of the local community.