During the last decade, a Walk of Witness has taken place in several forms in and around the City. Beryl and I and many friends have taken part in the Good Friday procession in the city, promoted by the churches of the area in conjunction with the Cathedral Team and the Chester Mystery Play. Here a large cast of actors and singers tell the Easter story from the Eastgate, along Eastgate Street to the cross, turning up into Northgate Street to the Town Hall Square and then into St Werburgh Street and the Cathedral Square. This procession is a very graphic depiction of the events that took place in Jerusalem all those years ago, and the story is followed by an estimated 4,000 Cestrians & visitors. It is a memorable event in the City calendar which takes place usually in the years when there are no Mystery Plays.

Many of the congregation from St James’ in Christleton have witnessed this event in Chester and walked from the village to take part in it. This year with no event in Chester, a Walk of Witness has taken place in Christleton. Parishioners gathered on Good Friday at the Abotts Well Hotel on Whitchurch Road for breakfast, kindly donated by the hotel, before setting off through part of the Village on their walk. The Walk started at 10.00am with prayers outside the hotel, led by the Rev. Tina Lightfoot, before setting off behind a rough hewn wooden cross towards Whitchurch Road and the Glass House. This is the point where the Christleton and Boughton parishes meet, and on the Beating of Bounds ceremony held every ten years, parishioners are led, first in prayers, and then walk through the house following the parish boundary. On this occasion the Walk of Witness participants went along the Whitchurch Road to the west and along Ring Road, to Toll Bar Road. The route taken was then along Toll Bar and Whitchurch Roads stopping for a reading and prayers near the A55 road bridge. There were 30 or so participants and after the cross was exchanged to a new leader, the walkers walked along to Quarry Bridge, where they crossed over the canal. After prayers and an exchange of cross bearer, the walkers went down Quarry Lane, passed the Primary School turning right into Hawthorn & Bush Roads. After prayers, the route continued along Hawthorn and Sandrock Roads into Quarry Lane stopping near the old Infant School, before heading up Village Road and up to the Church grounds. The group were joined by several other parishioners for a short service at the Memorial to Canon Lionel Garnett on the Church Green. Here people were invited to hammer nails into the wooden cross, as a symbol of the Crucifixion of Christ.

This Walk of Witness was followed by a service in the afternoon, Last Words of Love. Seven last words from the Cross, in Readings, Prayers, Music and Silence. This Passiontide Service took us through the last seven words that Jesus spoke from the cross; and we reflected on the worst of human nature, and how it can be transformed through the mystery of self –giving love.