HOW much weight can one Bishop gain in a weekend?

The answer was found after the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Rev Nick McKinnel, visited the West Dartmoor Mission Community and attended many functions which involved food!

In the space of two action-packed days last weekend Bishop Nick managed to fit numerous engagements in most of the churches in the Mission Community, which comprises Yelverton, Meavy, Sheepstor, Walkhampton, Princetown, Horrabridge and Sampford Spiney.

The Rev Preb Nick Shutt, the Rector of the Mission Community, said: 'As the Bishop was being asked to attend so many functions involving eating, a couple of members of the Mission Community thought it would be a great idea to weigh the Bishop at the beginning and end of his visit to see how much weight he had put on.

'People were asked to guess how much weight he gained with the prospect of an unspecified prize for whoever guessed the closest.'

Having completed a buffet community breakfast in Horrabridge, a barbecue lunch at Yelverton, a sumptuous evening meal at Meavy on the Saturday, the Bishop then pressed on with a cooked breakfast at Walkhampton, a picnic lunch at Sampford Spiney and a cream tea at Yelverton on Sunday.

In between all this eating Bishop Nick was kept busy dedicating a new kitchen at St John's, Horrabridge, a bell table at St Mary's, Sampford Spiney and the work to re-order St Mary's, Walkhampton. He also confirmed four people at a confirmation service in Yelverton, having earlier conducted an informal service at Walkhampton that attracted nearly 100 people.

Mr Shutt added: 'It has been great that Bishop Nick was able to spend a weekend with us. I think he left knowing that we can play together and pray together as a group of parishes.'

Although there was some dispute as to the accuracy of the final reading taken of Bishop Nick's weight after his final cream tea, it was announced that his weight had increased by 4.4kgs. A box of biscuits was presented to Sheila Stacey who had come the closest to guessing the correct weight.