A GUNNISLAKE resident has completed a sponsored hymnathon in aid of St Ive Parish Church, playing all 800 hymns from a hymn book given him by his mother 50 years ago.

Rob Collins, 65, taught physics at Kelly College for 12 years until 1988 and was also a design engineer. He said he had to teach himself to play the piano when he was young as his mother did not have enough money for lessons as she was a war widow.

'To encourage me she gave me a music hymn book — the Rememption Hymnal,' he said.

Rob had recorder lessons at school, which helped him read the top line of the music, and managed to work out the rest with his love of figures and maths. He said an ambition had been to play all the 800 hymns in the book at one sitting.

Approximately two years ago he stopped at the church in St Ive to have a cream tea and the ladies there invited him to play the organ. It then occurred to him he could play his hymns there and help them in their fundraising for a new kitchen at the same time.

The hymnathon took place on Saturday, starting at 8am. It took Rob until 6.30pm to complete all the hymns, playing continuously, apart from a short break for lunch. 'I was really on my last legs by then!' he said. 

Rob said he had been really impressed with the way the group of villagers had fought the closure of the church at St Ive and had succeeded in getting it reincorporated with Callington Church.

He hoped the money raised would help them towards getting their new kitchen to make providing their welcoming teas easier.