A POPULAR VICAR.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5391, 22 February 1929, Page 2

A POPULAR VICAR.

REV. NOEL ROBERiTSIHAWE. FAREWELL AT THAMES. The regret felt, at the departure for England of the Rev. Noel Robertshawe, M.A., M.C., was well, attested by -thy pumber of people who attended at St. George’s Parish. Hall, Thames, on Monday evening, to bid him farewell. Mr C. Poulgrain, the people’s warden, addressing the vicar, said that those present had assembled to bid farewell to one whom, jn the short ministry of four years, they had ceane to regard as one of their best, friends. In that period he had) gained the friendship not only of, the parishioners,. but of the outside public as well. “In appointing the Rev. Robertsliawe,” sajdi Mr poulgrain, “the bishop made a very wise choice. Thames, is a very difficult parish to handle, for it needs much tact- and unlimited optimism. Thesq opr vicar has shciwp he amply possesses, and, sir, you have given l entire satisfaction to your parishioners.” Those assembled had ajl hoped, continued Mr Poulgrain, that when their vicar had married he would settle down amongst them, but thy fates had ordered otherwise, and they all realised that his position .would be very ha,rd to fill. Thames was not a town that was used to changes; in fact, in the last 30 years there/had been but thrqe vic.ars, and in the whole history of Thames only five, and folk were loath to lose a good and able vicar such as their guest was. Mr Poulgrain then asked the vicar to accept on behalf of his friends a New Zealand travelling rug, Mrs McNeice, on behalf of t.hy Women’s Guild, presented Mrs Robertshawe with a beautiful bouquet. In his; response the Rev. Robertshawe thanked both the speakers for their utterances and thy parishioners for their kindly thoughts and for their allusions to the work he had attempted to do. He had a further link with Thames in that both his grandfathers had come to the town in its palmy days, but had' not found g°l d and had left for other parts. He, however, had done better than thep’, foir he had found in Thames the superwoman, the partner of ib.is life. The Rev. Robertshawe went on to tender his personal thanks to the numerous ardent workers who had, hq said, done so much, t.o make his period in Thames, pleasant and had assisted so much in carrying on the work of the Church.