Denshaw remembers Sydney

At a special service at Christ Church in Denshaw, time was taken to remember a former vicar, Sydney Leigh Clayton, on the 10th anniversary of his passing. 

Church Warden Ross Martin reminded the congregation of the impact he made at the Church and in the village. 

Sydney was the last incumbent of Christ Church Denshaw and its longest-serving Vicar.

He was appointed in 1976, and inducted at Denshaw in 1977, serving as Vicar until 2009 when ill health forced him to retire.

March 2 was the 10th anniversary of his passing.

He was much loved and respected Vicar, a friend to everyone in the village and has been greatly missed and remembered fondly by many. 

He was a very modest man. 

He was a great academic and exceedingly clever.

He could have taken up a post at one of the leading universities, but chose to stay within the Manchester Diocese.

He was also offered high office in the Church of England, but claimed he ‘preferred to remain a village parson.’

He loved his cats, treating them to fresh prawns and cream each week and the fantastic display of daffodils each year are all down to him. 

Each year he would go to a specific garden centre in Lincoln just to pick up more bulbs and the school children would then enjoy planting them.

He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and won a scholarship to Pembroke College Oxford to study ‘The Greats’ where he gained his MA, later being awarded the degree of Bachelor of Divinity by the University of London.

He trained for the ministry at Lincoln Theological College and was ordained Deacon in 1965 and priest in 1966.

His first appointment was as curate at St. James’ Birch in Rusholme where he served for three years, after which he moved to Bolton Parish Church to take up the post of Lecturer which he held until moving to Denshaw. 

He continued to hold strong links with Bolton Parish Church, especially with his great friend Peter who was the organist and holding Sydney in great esteem, they would continue to support him throughout his time in Denshaw. 

If a choir was needed for a wedding, it would be provided by Bolton Parish church!

During his time at Denshaw he was chairman of Managers at Christ Church Primary School and subsequently Chair of Governors.

He was presented with a carriage clock and certificate for Distinguished Service by Oldham Council Education Department for over 30 years as a school governor and was honoured to attend a garden party at Buckingham palace as a recognition for all of his service.

He taught RE in the school for many years and is fondly remembered by generations of Denshaw school children.

He read Latin, Greek and French with ease and was a great lover of classical music.

In addition to being Vicar of Denshaw he was an external examiner to Oxford and London Universities and a section 13 (now SIAMS) inspector.

A poem which was very important to him and one which he requested for his retirement service was Heraclitus. 

He studied this at University and Janet Laycock the church organist read this out:

Heraclitus​William (Johnson) Cory
 
They told me, Heraclitus, they told me you were dead,
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept as I remember’d how often you and I
Had tired the sun with talking and sent him down the sky.
 
And now that thou art lying, my dear old Carian guest,
A handful of grey ashes, long long ago at rest,
Still are thy pleasant voices, thy nightingales, awake;
For Death, he taketh all away, but them he cannot take.

Sydney possessed an innocent old fashioned school boy type humour which never left him…RIP.

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