On New Year’s Day the Rev. Fred Payne was conducting the service at St. John’s Church, Prescott, Ontario, Canada and on January 2 he was having tea with his mother, Mrs. Charlotte Payne, at 5 Spencer Street, Burton Latimer.

He is due to fly back to Canada next Tuesday and while here is renewing old acquaintanceships.

Christmas was a happy one for Mr. Payne’s mother, for her other son, Edward, who also emigrated to Canada and lives only 16 miles from Prescott, was also at Burton Latimer on a flying visit.  The two brothers managed to be at Burton together for one day before Edward and his family flew home.

Mr. Payne joined the Church Army at the age of 18 and after a few years’ work in the Diocese of Chichester volunteered for work in the Indian mission field and was put on a short list for foreign work.  However, Canada was the country he was called to and he has now made it his home.

He worked in Canada for about five years and then studied for the ministry.  He was ordained by the Bishop of Ontario, and works in the same diocese.

During his 31 years in Canada Mr. Payne has never forgotten his early life at Burton Latimer.  “When I was young there used to be a social centre at Preston Hall”.  He reminisced, “and that did a great deal for the boys, I think all that encouraged me to go into the Church Army”. (Click here for article by Michael Lack, Rev Payne's nephew.)